A remote research station in Antarctica has recorded the coldest temperature on Earth in 14 years, with readings at the Concordia station plummeting to –84.1°C (–119.4°F) on July 18. This mark is the coldest temperature recorded anywhere on the planet since 2012, when Russia's Vostok Station registered –84.2°C (−119.6°F).
The Concordia research station is situated 10,500 feet (3,200 meters) above sea level on a 10,800-foot-thick (3,300 meters) ice cap, approximately 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) from the Antarctic coast. While temperatures regularly drop below –80°C (–112°F) at this location during winter, the recent recording is noted as significantly colder than average.
Gabriele Carugati, the station leader at Concordia for Italy's National Antarctic Research Program, described the event as highlighting "how variable Antarctic weather can still be," adding that temperatures below minus 84°C are remarkable even in such an extreme environment.
Due to its high altitude on the Antarctic Plateau, Concordia experiences exceptionally cold weather. Carugati explained that during winter, months of darkness, extremely dry and stable atmosphere, and clear skies allow heat to continuously escape into space, leading to extraordinary low temperatures. The coldest temperature ever recorded at Concordia was –84.7°C (–120.5°F) in 2010. The all-time record for Earth remains –89.2°C (–128.6°F) at Russia's Vostok Station in July 1983.
Recent studies suggest that temperatures in East Antarctica could potentially reach as low as –98°C (–144°F) in shallow depressions near the ice sheet's highest points. Scientists believe these conditions represent near the natural limit for air temperature on Earth.
The extreme cold at Concordia stands in stark contrast to other parts of the globe experiencing record-breaking summer heat. Western Europe has seen its hottest June on record, and wildfires have occurred in Canada, France, Spain, and Greece. Even within Antarctica, extreme heat has been observed, with Argentina's Esperanza base recording its hottest winter temperature ever at 15.4°C (59.7°F) just weeks prior to the cold snap at Concordia. Last March, an Antarctic heatwave had pushed temperatures at Concordia to -9.4°C (15.1°F), its hottest recorded temperature and significantly higher than the previous year.
While climate change is increasing global average temperatures, scientists emphasize that its effects are complex. Localized extreme weather events, such as the recent cold spell in Antarctica, do not contradict the broader trend of global warming. Carugati noted that "climate change describes the long-term global trends, while individual weather events can still [bring] exceptional cold," and that Antarctica's complex atmospheric processes mean such extreme lows are possible even amidst a warming world.