Antarctica's Concordia Research Station on that day was -11.8°C - and while that might sound bloody cold, that temperature was an incredible 40°C higher than it should have been. The research station, where winter is approaching, has a normal high temperature for the day around -49°C.
The Concordia research station is one of the most inhospitable places on Earth. At 3,000m above sea level on the Antarctic Plateau, the temperature rarely rises above -25°C even in the summer. In midwinter it can fall to around -80°C.
“ANTARCTIC CLIMATOLOGY HAS BEEN REWRITTEN,” TWEETED STEFANO DI BATTISTA, A RESEARCHER WHO HAS PUBLISHED STUDIES ON ANTARCTIC TEMPERATURES. HE ADDED THAT SUCH TEMPERATURE ANOMALIES WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED “IMPOSSIBLE” AND “UNTHINKABLE” BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY OCCURRED."
The air is painfully dry, and fingers, toes and noses can freeze in minutes. The dozen or so crew, mainly French and Italian, who live and work in the station would normally venture out only for essential work. But on March 18th 2022, The air was so mild that the station’s research doctor went for a jog - as you do in only -11.8°C, when it's normally -49°C.
At this point, no one knows as we've never been in this situation before. We do know, according to Professor Andrew Mackintosh from Monash University's School of Earth Atmosphere and Environment:
"THIS WEATHER EVENT IS AN EXAMPLE OF ATMOSPHERIC WARMING ABOVE THE ICE SHELVES. IN ANTARCTICA, THE HEAT WOULD HAVE TO PERSIST FOR A FAIRLY LONG PERIOD OF TIME TO MAKE A SUBSTANTIAL DIFFERENCE."
It's pretty clear that traipsing off to Antarctica to do your own recordings and observations isn't going to achieve much. Being aware of how your own actions impact climate and the world around you. Learning as much as you can - at home, at work and at play - and acting on learnings, to be the most sustainable global Citizen you can - within the life you live - is exactly what any of us can do.