Concordia Station in Antarctica records -84.1°C, coldest temperature since 2012

On 18 July 2026 the joint Italian‑French Concordia research station on the Antarctic Plateau recorded a temperature of –84.1 °C, the lowest measured on Earth since 2012 and the second‑coldest reading after the –89.2 °C recorded at Russia’s Vostok station in 1983. The thermometer fell to –84.1 °C twice within minutes (06:25 and 06:34 local time). Station leader Gabriele Carugati described the reading as “remarkable” and stressed that short‑term extreme cold does not contradict the long‑term trend of global warming, which continues to drive heatwaves across Europe and North America. The base, situated over 3 300 m above sea level and more than 1 000 km from the coast, is operated by Italy’s National Antarctic Program and France’s Paul‑Émile Victor Polar Institute. German physician‑researcher Ingo Gerstmann, a member of the winter crew, reported the harsh conditions and the station’s isolation during the polar night, noting that fresh supplies cannot be flown in during winter. Scientists view the record as a reminder of the complex atmospheric processes that can produce extreme weather even as the planet warms.