Temperature Tops 100 F INSIDE THE ARCTIC CIRCLE!

We haven't heard much in the news about global warming lately. Other things have pushed it out of the headlines -- like a failed U.S. presidency, the COVID-19 pandemic, an economic recession, and an impending election. Those things are important (and should be covered by the news), but global climate change may be even more important -- and it's still getting worse. If we don't do something about it soon, it may be too late to stop global devastation.

Now we learn of something unheard of since temperatures have been recorded -- a town inside the Arctic Circle has recorded a temperature of 100.4 F (38 C). Here is how that significant (and frightening) event was reported by the Associated Press:

The Arctic is feverish and on fire — at least parts of it are. And that’s got scientists worried about what it means for the rest of the world.

The thermometer hit a likely record of 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Russian Arctic town of Verkhoyansk on Saturday, a temperature that would be a fever for a person — but this is Siberia, known for being frozen. The World Meteorological Organization said Tuesday that it’s looking to verify the temperature reading, which would be unprecedented for the region north of the Arctic Circle.

“The Arctic is figuratively and literally on fire — it’s warming much faster than we thought it would in response to rising levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and this warming is leading to a rapid meltdown and increase in wildfires,” University of Michigan environmental school dean Jonathan Overpeck, a climate scientist, said in an email.

“The record warming in Siberia is a warning sign of major proportions,” Overpeck wrote.

Much of Siberia had high temperatures this year that were beyond unseasonably warm. From January through May, the average temperature in north-central Siberia has been about 8 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) above average, according to the climate science non-profit Berkeley Earth.

“That’s much, much warmer than it’s ever been over that region in that period of time,” Berkeley Earth climate scientist Zeke Hausfather said.