A new official record for the coldest temperature on the Northern Hemisphere has been confirmed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) after 29 years. The record was set at minus 69.9 Celsius in Jakutia, Russia. The previous record was set in 1933 at minus 67.8 Celsius in Oimjakon, a village in the same region of Siberia. The new record was actually measured on December 22, 1991, by scientists from the University of Wisconsin in Madison using an automatic weather station in Greenland. The WMO has now recognized the new record after extensive verification and confirmation from all involved scientists.
According to the researchers, the extremely low temperature was favored by the position of the measuring station at an altitude of 3,105 meters on the Greenland ice sheet and the thin air. The station has since been dismantled and moved to Antarctica, leaving the possibility that even lower temperatures may have occurred in the region. The current record for the coldest temperature on Earth is minus 98.6 Celsius, measured on July 24, 2004, in a depression on the Antarctic plateau. However, this record was not recognized by the WMO because the temperature was measured directly on the ground, not in the air. The official record still stands at minus 82.9 Celsius, measured on July 21, 1983, by the Russian Antarctic station Vostok.
The confirmation of the new record highlights the importance of accurate and reliable weather data, especially in regions where extreme temperatures can have significant impacts on human life and the environment. The WMO plays a crucial role in monitoring and verifying weather records worldwide, ensuring that the data is of the highest scientific standards. The recognition of the new record also serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges posed by climate change and the need for continued research and monitoring of our planet’s weather patterns.
