EU says July sea ice cover at record low

The European Union's satellite monitoring group said last month the lowest extent of Antarctic sea ice was recorded for July.

The C 3 S of the Copernicus Climate Change Service found that the Antarctic sea ice extent reached 1.53 million square kilometres - some 1.1 million km 2, or seven per cent, below the average for July in 1991 -- 2020.

This was the lowest ice cover for July since satellite records began 44 years ago, and followed record low Antarctic sea ice levels for June.

C 3 S said that the low ice values continued a string of below-average monthly extents observed since February 2022.

The service said in its monthly bulletin that the Southern Ocean saw widespread areas of below-average sea ice concentration last month.

The Arctic sea ice cover was four per cent lower than average, making it the 12th lowest July sea ice extent on record.

In a month that saw temperature records broken across parts of northern Europe and Britain, C 3 S said July was drier than average for much of Europe, noting a number of low-precipitation records in several locations.

It said that these conditions had an impact on the economy locally and facilitated the spread and intensification of wildfires.

C 3 S said that July was also abnormally dry across much of North America, South America, Central Asia and Australia.

Climate change makes extreme heat and drought more likely to occur.

As global temperatures increase further, we can expect to see more frequent and longer periods of extremely high temperatures, said senior C 3 S scientist Freja Vamborg.

The service said last month it was wetter in eastern Russia, northern China and in a large wet band spanning from eastern Africa across Asia to north west India.