Arctic sees hottest year since 1900 as climate crisis continues

"A new report has found unprecedented temperature rises and significant loss of snow and ice in the Arctic, a region now described as warming far faster than the rest of the planet. The annual Arctic Report Card published by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Tuesday found that surface air temperatures across the Arctic between October 2024 and September 2025 were the warmest recorded since 1900."

"Last year's unusually high temperatures capped off a decade of record highs in the region surrounding the North Pole, according to the report, which was a collaboration of 112 authors from 13 different countries. In the 47 years that satellite images have been used for recording and measurement, winter sea ice reached its lowest levels in March 2025, while snow cover over the Arctic in June was half what it was six decades ago, the report found."

"The report's authors presented their findings at a news conference where a reporter asked about statements made by NOAA officials under previous US administrations, linking environmental changes in the Arctic to fossil fuel pollution. Steven Thur, NOAA's acting chief scientist, responded to the question without referring to fossil fuels or climate change directly. We recognise that the planet is changing dramatically."

Surface air temperatures across the Arctic between October 2024 and September 2025 were the warmest recorded since 1900. The region is warming far faster than the global average, producing a decade of sustained record highs around the North Pole. Winter sea ice reached its lowest levels in March 2025 in the 47-year satellite record. Snow cover across the Arctic in June is about half of what it was six decades ago. Findings reflect contributions from 112 researchers across 13 countries. NOAA is the U.S. agency associated with the information, and its acting chief scientist said, "We recognise that the planet is changing dramatically." Multiple federal agencies have removed references to climate change from their websites under the second Trump administration.

Read at www.aljazeera.com