Global sea ice hit record low in February, scientists say

February was the lowest monthly level for sea ice in the Arctic, and the fourth-lowest in the Antarctic. Photograph: Mara Unkefer/Getty Images

Global sea ice fell to a record low in February, scientists have said, a symptom of an atmosphere fouled by planet-heating pollutants.

The combined area of ice around the north and south poles hit a new daily minimum in early February and stayed below the previous record for the rest of the month, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said on Thursday.