Northern Asia in June 2020: thermal images from the Copernicus satellite programme turn the old phrase "Siberian cold" on its head.

In February, reports of record temperatures in Antarctica made headlines: first, Argentine researchers recorded the warmest day on the Antarctic mainland since measurements began, at 18.3 degrees Celsius – shortly afterwards, this was even surpassed by a reading of over 20 degrees near the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.

In the generally far more hospitable Arctic on the other side of the world, that would be nothing special – but there, entirely different temperatures have now been recorded: up to 38 degrees. In northern Russia, including the Siberian republic of Yakutia, there has been a full-blown heatwave over the past few weeks, and it lasted remarkably long. As a result, wildfires broke out in the region with unusual frequency. Some regions declared a state of emergency due to the numerous fires.

Read more at: derstandard.at