Arctic Circle land temperature reaches 48C during ‘persistent heatwave’ in Siberia

It comes month after scientists called temperatures in region ‘mind-boggling’

Copernicus use satellites to work out land surface temperatures in the Sakha Republic in Arctic Siberia (Copernicus)

Land temperature in the Arctic Circle has reached peaks of 48C during a “persistent heatwave” in Siberia.

The European Union’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service said land surface temperature “widely exceeded” 35C across the Russian region on the first day of summer.

Siberia has been hit by wildfires and hotter than usual temperatures in recent years.

Scientists found the heatwave experienced by the far northeastern region last year would have “effectively impossible” without the man-made climate crisis.

It appears parts of Siberia in the Arctic Circle are once again recording record-breaking temperatures this year.

Saskylakh, an Arctic town, recorded 31.9C on 20 June, according to the EU’s Copernicus programme, who said it was the small community’s hottest temperature since 1936 before the summer solstice.

Copernicus said Siberia - and especially its Republic of Sakha - was experiencing a “persistent heatwave” at the moment.

The EU programme’s satellelites found land surface temperatures - different from air temperatures - widely surpassed 35C across Siberia on 20 June, with peaks at 48°C near the town of Verkhojansk, 43°C in Govorovo and 37°C in Saskylah.

Last month, scientists called the heatwave gripping the Arctic “mindboggling” as temperature records in Siberia were once again broken.

Temperatures rose above 30C in areas of the Arctic in May, which is much higher than the average for the time of year.

Rising temperatures are causing ice and permafrost to melt, which causes previously trapped methane to be released into the atmosphere - which contributes to global warming.

Towards the end of last year, there was a record-breaking delay in Arctic sea ice freezing.