What is the weather like near the top of Mount Everest? It’s a vital question for mountaineers hoping to climb the world’s highest peak, but it is also important for climate scientists, whose models indicate that global heating will be amplified at high elevations.
In May 2019, the National Geographic and Rolex Mount Everest expedition supported two climate scientists in setting up the highest weather station in the world, perched on the south-east ridge of Everest at a height of 8,430m (27,657ft), along with another weather station on the South Col, at a height of 7,945m.
Now, the first insights into the weather near the summit of Everest are emerging.
Writing in the journal Weather, Tenzing Chogyal Sherpa and colleagues report on the winter weather conditions near the summit, revealing wind chill temperatures plunging as low as -83C, creating an environment where frostbite would occur in less than a minute.
The combination of strong winds and low humidity were shown to be driving significant snow and ice loss, resulting in the peak shrinking by up to 90cm during the winter months (assuming no fresh snowfall).
Between one-fifth and one-quarter of the world’s population get their water from the Himalaya, so data such as this is invaluable for understanding the impact of climate change on water resources.
