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On 22 June, the Arctic circle hit a new record temperature of 38C (100F) in Verkhoyansk, Siberia. The record is 18C higher than the average maximum June temperature in the area. This supports scientists' belief that the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the global average. Furthermore, air temperatures have increased by an average of 1C worldwide, but in the Arctic, it has grown by 4C.
From March through May, Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that average Arctic temperatures were 10C warmer than usual. In June, parts of Siberia registered 30C and in May, Khatanga, Russia, recorded a new record temperature of 25.4C. This warming is causing the permafrost, which contains methane, carbon dioxide and many other harmful pollutants, to melt. If the permafrost disappears, all these greenhouse gases will enter the atmosphere and contribute substantially to global warming. The melting ice is also producing sea-level rise. As the reflective ice disappears, the dark ocean absorbs more heat, causing it to expand and contribute to further warming.
The massive warming event in the Arctic is also sparking more wildfires and make them grow in intensity. Usually, the wildfire season starts in May, but this year the fires started earlier and were ten times bigger in the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia than in April 2019.
The Arctic is not alone in experiencing record high temperatures. Northern Europe and Asia both recorded average temperatures 10C higher than usual in the spring. This has put 2020 on track to becoming the warmest year in human history.