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Greenland's West Coast Experienced its Warmest January on Record

Published February 16, 2026, 14:14
Greenland's West Coast Experienced its Warmest January on Record

The capital of Greenland, Nuuk, recorded its warmest January ever, breaking the previous record that had stood since 1917. The average monthly temperature was 0.1 degrees Celsius, 7.8°C above the average for the last three decades. The temperature in Nuuk reached 11.3°C on the warmest day of January. Across the west coast of Greenland, temperatures in January were higher than previous records. In Ilulissat, the average temperature was -1.6°C, 1.3 degrees above the previous record of 1929 and 11 degrees above the normal temperature for January. Climate researchers at the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) point out that the prolonged period of record heat in such a large area is a clear indication of climate change. The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the planet. Climate researcher Martin Olesen stated that the increase in temperature is leading to more heat records and fewer cold records. Greenland is on the front lines of climate change, and the increase in temperature is particularly noticeable in the region.