Antarctic sea ice slides to record daily lows after third-lowest winter peak
The National Snow and Ice Data Center says Antarctic sea ice has been at record-low daily values since October 2, after a September winter maximum of 17.76 million sq km - the third-lowest in the satellite record.
Reporting out on and around October 17, 2026 - the Met Office end-of-season summary and follow-ups from Nature World News, Time News, SSB Crack and the NASA Earth Observatory - converged on the finding that Antarctic sea ice has fallen to record daily lows for early- to mid-October. According to the OSI SAF Sea Ice Index, the September 2026 winter maximum was 17.76 million square kilometres, the third-lowest September extent in the satellite record since 1979. The National Snow and Ice Data Center said daily extents have been below any previous year since October 2, dipping under the marks set in 2023, the worst year on record. A low peak followed by an unusually fast spring retreat means the Southern Ocean is entering its warm season with less ice than at any comparable point since satellite tracking began. Scientists are investigating whether the slump that began in 2016, after decades of slow growth, now represents a structural regime shift tied to warming subsurface waters and shifting winds. The question is central as the world approaches COP31 and as the latest 'State of the Climate' report warns seven of 16 key climate markers are at record extremes.
