Wildfires are once again ravaging the Arctic Circle, the EU's climate change monitor - Copernicus - is reporting.
It is the third time in the past five years that high intensity fires have swept across the region.
In a statement released on Thursday, Copernicus reported higher air temperatures and drier conditions in Sakha, Russia, which are rendering the ideal conditions for wildfires once there is a spark.
Scientists are concerned that smoke from the flames will hinder the ability of the Arctic ice to reflect solar radiation - which would mean both the land and sea absorb more heat.
The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), which has been tracking wildfire emissions in the Arctic Circle, found that during the month of June the majority of wildfires are burning in Russia's Sakha region.
According to estimates from Copernicus' findings, carbon emissions from the wildfires throughout June were the third highest for the past two decades at 6.8 mega tonnes of carbon - only behind fires in 2020 and 2019.
Carbon emissions in the those years were 16.3 and 13.8 mega tonnes, respectively.
In 2021, wildfires also swept Sakha but they were less intense than fires in 2020 and 2019.
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