Oymakon, Russia, The "Coldest Inhabited Place on Earth" Is Experiencing Drastic Temperature Rise

Oymyakon, Russia, commonly regarded as the world's coldest inhabited location, is not living up to its title.

On Tuesday, the town reached a high of 88.8 degrees Fahrenheit (31.6 degrees Celsius), the warmest it has ever been in June. The previous three days have been similarly hot in Oymyakon, with temperatures hitting 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

Temperature Rise

According to Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls, the weather will drop off a bit on Thursday and Friday, with highs in the upper 70s. Still, the heat will return during the weekend.

"On Saturday, temperatures are expected to rise to approximately 30 degrees Celsius (86F). Sunday was not quite as warm as Saturday, but it was still warm by Oymyakon norms, with temperatures reaching 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius), "According to Nicholls.

"Coldest Inhabited Place on Earth"

The town of around 500 people, located in Russia's Sakha Republic, is known for its freezing weather. According to The Siberian Times, the lowest officially recorded temperature in Oymyakon was 89.9 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (67.7 degrees below zero Celsius) in 1933.

Temperatures in Oymyakon dropped to an unusually cold -73 degrees Fahrenheit in January, indicating the city's temperature has changed by a staggering 161 degrees Fahrenheit this year.

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Geographical Location

Oymyakon is located in a permafrost zone, which means that the ground temperature is consistently below 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 C).

According to Senior Meteorologist Jim Andrews, the severe winter environment of far northeastern Asia is also known as the "Pole of Cold."

"In northern Asia, the Siberian 'Pole of Cold' is located within the Sakha Republic, or Yakutia," Andrews explained. "Only the summits of huge Antarctica and Greenland ice sheets are colder in the winter than it is in the summer."

Average Temperature

The temperature does climb in the summer, with the average high in June reaching a respectable (but not scorching) 68 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the average low temperature returns to the upper 30s.

Oymyakon is roughly 200 miles south of the Arctic Circle, which many people believe is frigid all year, yet as recent thermometer readings show, the air there can become warm.

The temperature reached 86 degrees Fahrenheit on June 24 at Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada, 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle. The temperature at Little Chicago, Northwest Territories, Canada, hit 91 degrees Fahrenheit.

Increase in Temperature

The Pacific Northwest also saw all-time high temperatures this week. Three days in a row, Portland set a new daily high-temperature record at 116 degrees Fahrenheit. According to the BBC, a new all-time high temperature was achieved in Lytton, British Columbia, when the thermometer reached 121.1 F (49.5 C) on Tuesday.

This month was likewise scorching hot in Moscow. The arrival of summer coincided with a heat wave that pushed temperatures to levels not seen since 1901.

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