The Arctic is warming 3 to 4 times faster than other regions.
“As the Earth warms, the likelihood of extreme cold waves in winter increases.”
The Associated Press reported on the 16th (local time) that scientists cited global warming as the reason why the United States was hit by a strong cold wave from the Arctic while abnormally warm weather continued in most parts of the world.
According to reports, over the past few days, temperatures in many parts of the world, including the Arctic, Asia, parts of Africa, the Middle East and South America, have been about 7 degrees higher than the average temperature in the second half of the 20th century. Higher-than-normal temperatures were recorded in both the Southern Hemisphere, currently in summer, and the Northern Hemisphere, currently in winter. Oman, located in the northern hemisphere, recorded a January night temperature of 26.4 degrees, and Argentina, located in the southern hemisphere, recorded the warmest January temperature on record at 27.3 degrees.
However, the United States, on the other hand, experienced extreme cold. The perceived temperature in some areas of North Dakota, USA, reached -56 degrees Celsius.
Scientists cited global warming caused by climate change as the reason why these abnormal temperatures continue. “The Arctic is warming three to four times faster than other parts of the Earth,” said Jennifer Francis of the Woodwell Institute for Climate Change in the U.S. “If the Arctic warms, places like Texas that are less equipped to deal with the cold will experience severe cold.” “The chances of them coming to visit us are greater,” he explained.
He added: “Rapid Arctic warming is one of the most obvious impacts of human-caused climate change, and it is very likely that we will experience extreme winter cold waves even as the planet warms overall.”
U.S. meteorologist Judah Cohen said, “Cold waves may be getting more severe because polar vortices are occurring more frequently.” The polar vortex is a strong low-pressure vortex that forms from the upper troposphere to the stratosphere in polar regions such as the North and South Poles.
“What we currently know is that when the polar vortex stretches like a rubber band, extreme cold hits the United States,” Cohen said. “There is an example of an extreme expansion of the polar vortex in January,” he said.
Scientists predicted that the cold wave that hit the United States due to climate change will end within a few days, but abnormally warm weather will continue thereafter.
Despite the extreme cold wave in the United States, the Earth’s average temperature has been rising for seven consecutive months. “This is because the United States covers only 2% of the Earth’s surface,” said Victor Gencini, a professor of meteorology at Northern Illinois University in the United States. “If you look at the world, the United States is an isolated region.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.