"Truly Unprecedented" 'Frozen Siberia', Worst Heatwave at 40 Degrees... Record in 50-70 Years

CNN "Siberian Heatwave Is Truly Exceptional"

The worst heatwave in history has reached the "permafrost" of Siberia. Temperatures exceeded 37.7 degrees Celsius, setting new records not seen in 50 to 70 years.

On the 8th (local time), CNN cited climatologist Maximiliano Herrera, reporting, "Recently, extreme heat has pushed abnormally far north, causing some parts of Siberia to experience abnormal high temperatures nearing 40 degrees Celsius day after day. The Siberian heatwave is truly exceptional."

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While temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius are common in Siberia, a heatwave approaching 40 degrees in June, before the official start of summer, is unusual. New records are being broken daily, and the heatwave is expected to worsen.

CNN identified "global warming" as the main cause of the Siberian heatwave. Global warming is known to particularly raise temperatures in high-latitude regions.

Omar Baddour, Director of Climate Monitoring Policy at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), stated, "Siberia is one of the fastest warming regions on Earth in terms of the increase in extreme heat intensity."

The major concern is that the heatwave could melt Siberia's permafrost. Permafrost refers to ground that remains permanently frozen for more than half the year, with average monthly temperatures below zero degrees Celsius. If it melts, deadly pathogens buried deep underground could be released to the surface.

In fact, during the 2016 anthrax outbreak in Siberia, which killed over 2,000 reindeer, experts analyzed that the abnormal heat melted the permafrost, exposing anthrax-infected animal carcasses and spreading the pathogen.

The record-breaking heatwave is not limited to Siberia but has spread across Central Asia. In early April, Turkmenistan recorded a temperature of 42 degrees Celsius, which Herrera described as "the highest temperature ever recorded at that latitude in the world."

On the 7th, temperatures in China exceeded 45 degrees Celsius, Uzbekistan reached 43 degrees, and Kazakhstan saw mercury rise above 41 degrees.