The Antarctic sea ice shrank to its second-lowest extent in March, making it the second-warmest month on record for the planet, the EU’s climate monitoring office reported on Thursday.

According to a Copernicus Climate Change Service assessment, “the month was jointly the second warmest March globally”.

The study is based on computer-generated analysis of billions of measurements collected from satellites, ships, planes, and weather stations all across the world.

Temperatures were said to be above average in southern and central Europe and below average in most of northern Europe.

Much of North Africa, southwestern Russia, Asia, northern North America, South America (particularly drought-stricken Argentina), Australia, and coastal Antarctica were significantly warmer than typical.

The organization reported that it was substantially cooler than typical over western and central North America.

Sea ice is melting and sea levels are rising as a result of global warming, prompting concerns that critical tipping points may be reached.

Copernicus reported that Antarctic sea ice extent was 28% below average in March, the second lowest in the 45-year satellite data record.

For the second year in a row, it recorded the smallest area on record in February, continuing a decade-long slide.

Meanwhile, Arctic sea ice extent was 4% below average and tied for the fourth lowest for March on record, whereas concentrations in the Greenland Sea were above average.

As global temperatures rise due to human-caused climate change, Copernicus data show that the last eight years have been the eight warmest on record.

According to a UN analysis released in March, those record-breaking temperatures will be among the coolest in three or four decades as global temperatures rise, even if greenhouse-gas emissions are rapidly reduced.

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