Antarctica’s west coast missing an area of sea ice the size of France as temperatures peak 20C above average

<p><strong>Exclusive </strong>A vast area of the Bellingshausen Sea should be covered by sea ice by now, with one expert calling the loss of ice ‘depressing’</p><p>Antarctica’s west coast is missing an area of winter sea ice the size of France, sparking concerns for threatened penguins other marine life and global sea levels.</p><p>One expert said the loss of ice in the Bellingshausen Sea was “depressing” and the failure of ice to form could have intensified <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/10/record-winter-temperatures-in-antarctic-raise-fears-over-speed-of-climate-breakdown">a heatwave over the continent’s peninsula last week</a> that saw daytime temperatures peak at 15.4C which is more than 20C above average.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/13/antarcticas-west-coast-missing-an-area-of-sea-ice-the-size-of-france-as-temperatures-peak-20c-above-average">Continue reading...</a>

canonical claim-state bundle · Collapse: Climate