Concordia Station Antarctic temperature record

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. Station leader Gabriele Carugati described the extreme as a reminder of the variability of Antarctic weather, noting that such lows are rare even for Concordia, whose all‑time low is –84.7 °C set in 2010.

The measurement was confirmed by the French Polar Institute Paul‑Émile Victor and Italy’s National Antarctic Research Program. Scientists highlighted the contrast between this severe cold and the historic heatwaves affecting the Northern Hemisphere, emphasizing that short‑term extreme cold does not contradict the long‑term trend of global warming.

Both reports, issued within days of each other, underscore the significance of the reading for understanding Antarctic atmospheric processes and its place in the broader context of global climate extremes.