"In four of the past five winters, the North Pole has witnessed dramatic temperatures spikes, which previously were rare. Now, in the lead up to summer, the temperature has again shot up to unusually high levels at the tip of the planet.
Scientists say this warming could hasten the melt of Arctic sea ice, which is already near record low levels.
In just the past few days, the temperature at the North Pole has soared to the melting point of 32 degrees, which is about 30-35 degrees (17-19 Celsius) above normal.
Much of the entire Arctic north of 80 degrees latitude is abnormally warm. The temperature averaged over the whole region appears to be the warmest on record for the time of year, dating back to at least 1958. It is about 18 degrees (10 Celsius) above the normal of 4 degrees (minus 16 Celsius)."
Jason Samenow reports for the Washington Post May 7, 2018.
SEE ALSO:
"As Winter Warms, Bears Can’t Sleep. And They’re Getting Into Trouble." (New York Times)
"Another Extreme Heat Wave Strikes The North Pole"
Source: Washington Post, 05/08/2018