Arctic sea ice could hit maximum extent ‘much earlier’ than usual

Some stations reported winter temperatures 30C warmer than usual with situation echoed in Antarctica

An extreme heat event in the Arctic could cause it to reach the maximum of the extent of its ice for this year considerably earlier" than usual, a scientist has warned.

Temperature records were broken in Norway last week, with rain falling at Svalbard airport, and unusually warm temperatures recorded in Greenland and the Russian archipelago of Franz Josef Land.