Greenland records its warmest January on record: shocking figures and climate change
In an exceptional climatic phenomenon reflecting the accelerating pace of global warming, Greenland's capital, Nuuk, recorded its warmest January on record last month, breaking records that had stood for over a century. The Danish Meteorological Institute announced that the high temperatures were not limited to the capital but extended to large areas of the island's west coast.
Record numbers defy the polar winter cold
While large parts of Europe and North America were gripped by bitterly cold January, the picture was very different in Greenland. The capital, Nuuk, recorded an unprecedented average monthly temperature of 0.1 degrees Celsius, 7.8 degrees Celsius above the average for the past three decades. This surpassed the previous record set in 1917 by 1.4 degrees Celsius, ending a record-breaking period that had lasted 109 years.
At the height of this warm spell, the temperature reached 11.3 degrees Celsius on one day in January, spring-like weather that is not in keeping with the harsh winter nature known in this frozen region.
Geographical extent of the phenomenon and environmental impacts
The capital wasn't alone in experiencing this unusual warmth; the Danish Meteorological Institute confirmed that records were broken across more than 2,000 kilometers, from the far south to the west coast. In Ilulissat, on the Disko Bay, the average temperature reached -1.6 degrees Celsius, surpassing the 1929 record and far exceeding the normal January average by 11 degrees Celsius.
Scientific context: Why does this happen?
Scientists attribute this phenomenon to warm air masses blowing across Greenland. While such events might occur briefly, lasting only a day or two, their prolonged persistence is a worrying sign. Climate scientist Martin Olesen explained that the continued warmth across such vast areas is compelling evidence of radical climate change, noting that global warming inevitably leads to an increase in record-breaking warm temperatures and a decrease in extreme cold spells.
Serious repercussions for the global and local ecosystem
This rise in temperatures has serious implications that extend far beyond Greenland's geographical borders. The island is a vast reservoir of frozen freshwater, and its melting ice is directly contributing to rising sea levels globally, threatening coastal cities around the world.
Locally, this warming threatens the traditional way of life for Greenlanders, whose fishermen rely on the thickness of the ice for navigation and for catching fish and marine life. Thinning or premature melting of the ice makes fishing trips dangerous or impossible, striking at the heart of the subsistence economy for these Arctic communities.
This data confirms what was published in a study in the journal "Nature" in 2022, which indicated that the Arctic region has been warming at a rate more than four times the global average since 1979, making it the most affected front line in the global climate battle.
