Weather madness in northern Russia: It has never been as hot here as it is now.
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Record temperatures of up to 38 degrees were measured in the Russian Arctic in June. “We had extremely abnormal weather in June,” said the head of the Russian weather service, Roman Wilfand, in Moscow on Tuesday. These “extraordinary” phenomena are due to climate change. As a result, there were unusually frequent fires in the Russian tundra.
In the past few weeks there had been a real heat wave in northern Russia – including the Siberian republic of Yakutia. According to Wilfand, 38 degrees Celsius was reached in Verkhoyansk on June 17. At the end of the 19th century, a cold record of minus 67.8 degrees had been measured in the arctic city. Some regions declared an emergency due to the numerous tundra fires.
According to Wilfand, the hot temperatures are due to climate change and a change in atmospheric circulation. Polar high-pressure areas, which bring sunny weather with them, occur more and more frequently, explained the weather expert. As a result, the soil heats up more in summer and thus favors fires in the tundra. According to Wilfand, these in turn contribute to further warming, since the ashes are deposited on the Arctic ice, which no longer reflects the sun and melts faster.
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