Interesting EventsHere we describe recent, rapid changes in the cryosphere that are newsworthy. They may or may not be significant in a climate context. |
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Nuuk, Greenland Record Temperature, June 2016
J. Key, 15 June 2016
Nuuk, the capital city of Greenland, reached a record high temperature of 75ºF (24ºC). This is the highest temperature ever recorded in Greenland during the month of June. The previous record of 73.8 degrees (23.2 Celsius) was set in Kangerlussuaq on June 15 in 2014. The warm weather was a result of winds from the east. When winds come from the east over Nuuk, they blow downhill and warm (adiabatic warming). Figure 1 shows the location of Nuuk. Figure 2 shows the time series of temperature, pressure, and winds on 9 June 2016.
Figure 1: Location of Nuuk, Greenland.
Figure 2: Nuuk, Greenland weather graphs for 9 June 2016, showing (top to bottom) temperature, barometric pressure, wind speed, and wind direction. From the Weather Underground.
More information is available on several media outlets, including this Washington Post article.