South Pole Reaches Its Highest Temperature Ever Recorded

The South Pole in Antarctica has reached its highest temperature ever recorded, on 25 December 2011. The South Pole Meteorology Office noted that, “The temperature topped out at -12.3C/+9.9F”.

The previous record high temperature of -13.6 °C/+7.5F was recorded on 27 December 1978.

Also in Antarctica, University of Wisconsin Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) at Nico and Henry AWS sites observed record warm temperatures, although the observations are preliminary and need to be officially reviewed.

Although the temperatures recorded don’t exactly seem like a heat wave to all of us living in most of the rest of the world, it is for Antarctica. The Antarctic Sun points out that the average annual temperature at the South Pole is about -49.4C/-56.9F . Even in the Antarctic summer, from late October to early February, the average is around -32C/-26F. Brrrrr!

Still, it’s got to be of concern in relation to global warming, considering all the other record breaking temperatures registered around the world in recent years.

Via Space Science & Engineering Center

Image CC licensed by Alan Light: South Pole Station, Antarctica