• Greenland's ice sheet melted 17 times faster than average during a May heat wave.
• Iceland experienced record temperatures surpassing 26°C, more than 13°C above the normal.
• The extreme heat impacts local ecosystems and threatens livelihoods of indigenous communities.

Greenland's ice sheet melted 17 times faster than its historical average during a significant heat wave in May, as reported by the scientific network World Weather Attribution (WWA). The Arctic region is heating up at alarming rates, approximately four times faster than the global average since 1979, which is attributed to human-caused climate change, according to studies published in Nature and comments from experts like Friederike Otto, associate professor of climate science at Imperial College London, who stated that without climate change, “this would have been impossible,” according to Dawn and India Times.

Iceland has also seen unprecedented temperatures during this period, with reports indicating that on May 15, the temperature reached 26.6°C (79.8°F), the warmest recorded for the month. This temperature was more than 13°C higher than the average recorded from 1991 to 2020. The WWA noted that such extreme temperatures could occur only once every 100 years in the current climate, highlighting the exceptional nature of the heat wave, as stated by Africanews and AA.

The release of large amounts of freshwater from melting ice sheets poses significant risks to global ocean currents, particularly the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), potentially leading to major disruptions in global climate systems. As noted by Otto, the melting glaciers not only increase sea levels but also alter wind patterns and precipitation, which can affect weather conditions worldwide. The impact of these changes is not confined to Greenland and Iceland; they have implications for coastlines globally, as increased sea levels threaten low-lying areas, according to Dawn, India Times, and Africanews.

The alterations wrought by the heatwave have also affected local infrastructure—many communities in Iceland and Greenland are not equipped to handle such extreme weather, leading to issues such as flooding and transportation hazards. Notably, the flow of vital resources for the indigenous populations who rely on sea ice for hunting and fishing is threatened, thus impacting their cultural heritage and livelihood. As WWA highlighted, infrastructure in these regions was predominantly designed for colder climates, making the effects of record-breaking temperatures particularly severe, according to Africanews and AA.