Environment

Heat wave reaches Greenland amid threat to island’s ice sheet

The heat wave that smashed high temperature records in five European countries a week ago is now over Greenland, accelerating the melting of the island’s ice sheet and causing massive ice loss in the Arctic.

Greenland, the world’s largest island, is a semi-autonomous Danish territory between the Atlantic and Arctic oceans that has 82% of its surface covered in ice.

The area of the Greenland ice sheet that is showing indications of melt has been growing daily, and hit a record 56.5% for this year on Wednesday.

The Kangersuneq glacial ice fields in Kapissisillit, Greenland seen in June (Keith Virgo/AP)

That is according to Ruth Mottram, a climate scientist with the Danish Meteorological Institute.

She said the ice melt area is expected to expand and peak on Thursday before cooler temperatures slow the pace.

UK’s 10 hottest years on record have occurred since 2002: Met Office click here

Joe Mellor

Head of Content

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