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The Barents Sea, located off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia, might seem too far away to have an impact on our weather. But new research shows that ice loss on the sea is increasing the frequency of concurrent summer heatwaves across Europe and eastern Asia.

Jilan Jiang from the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences in Bejing, and colleagues, studied ice data and global weather patterns going back to 1979. The researchers discovered a link between stronger spring and summer ice loss over the Barents Sea since 2000 and dual heatwaves over Europe and eastern Asia.

Prior to 2000, the ice loss was primarily over the southern Barents Sea, but since then ice loss has also become persistent in the northern part. This additional ice loss has triggered unusual atmospheric circulation patterns over north-western Europe and high pressure over east Asia, priming both regions for simultaneous heatwaves.

The study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, highlighted how rapid Arctic warming increases the frequency of these extreme events, and the multi-continental nature of the heatwaves increases the risk of widespread crop failures, public health emergencies and ecosystem damage.

However, increased understanding of the triggers behind the heatwaves could help to improve early warning systems and develop greater resilience to extreme weather events.