Scientific expedition to Antarctica reveals surprising temperatures and climate impact on Singapore

Standing on an ice sheet with only a t-shirt on his back, 52-year-old Professor Benjamin Horton certainly did not expect such weather during his trip to Antarctica. “The first couple of days, the weather was amazing. The oceans were like a mirror. We had wildlife, humpback whales, popping out (of the ocean),” said the director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore. “I was overdressed.” The region experienced around 15 degrees Celsius in the afternoon, which was not the type of temperature one would expect to face in the South Pole.

Antarctica is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent on the planet. However, summer days can be surprisingly mild and unpredictable. Their next day began with poor weather conditions that prevented the team from disembarking from the boat.

Professor Horton and 26-year-old PhD student Tan Fang Yi were part of a Singapore scientific…