A record low
Arctic sea ice hit its lowest winter level on record this year, according to scientists who track polar ice. The ice cover at the end of winter was smaller than in any year since satellite measurements began.
The record follows a period of unusually warm air temperatures over the Arctic Ocean. Warm water and strong winds also helped break up the ice earlier than usual, researchers said.
Winter sea ice matters because it sets the stage for summer. Less ice at the start of the melt season usually means less ice at the end of it, and the Arctic is already warming faster than the rest of the planet.
Heat and fire around the world
The Arctic record is part of a broader pattern of extreme heat. Wildfires are currently burning across Australia, Argentina, and South Africa, forcing evacuations and blanketing cities in smoke.
In Europe, scientists have found that climate change has sharply increased the likelihood of hot, dry weather that helps fires spread. A new report shows that France and Spain were primed to burn this summer because of long-term warming.
The report's authors described the findings as alarming. They said the weather conditions behind the worst European fires in recent decades are now several times more likely than they were in the pre-industrial era.
What the trends mean
Scientists say the record low ice and the surge in wildfires are connected by the same driver: rising global temperatures from greenhouse gas emissions.
Arctic ice loss has consequences far beyond the polar region. It can disrupt weather patterns across the Northern Hemisphere and accelerate warming as dark open water absorbs more sunlight than reflective ice.
Researchers stress that cutting emissions quickly can still slow the damage. But they warn that some changes, including the loss of summer sea ice, may already be unavoidable in the coming decades.