Global sea ice cover fell to a historic low in February when the world continued to experience exceptional heat, and temperatures reached 11 degrees Celsius above average near the North Pole, Europe's climate monitor said on Thursday.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service said last month was the third hottest February on record, continuing a run of persistent warming since 2023 stoked by greenhouse gas emissions.

Combined Antarctic and Arctic sea ice cover – ocean water that freezes and floats on the surface – dropped to a record minimum extent of 16.04 million square kilometres on February 7, Copernicus said.

"February 2025 continues the streak of record or near-record temperatures observed throughout the last two years," said Samantha Burgess of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, which runs Copernicus.

"One of the consequences of a warmer world is melting sea ice, and the record or near-record low sea ice cover at both poles has pushed global sea ice cover to an all-time minimum."

The poles are the most sensitive regions to climate change on the planet, warming several times faster than the global average.

Arctic ice cover, which normally expands to its annual winter maximum in March, was a historic February low last month, eight percent below average, Copernicus said. That marked the third monthly record in a row.

In the Antarctic, where it is now summer and the ice is melting, the frozen cover was 26 percent below average across February, it said.

The Antarctic region may have hit its annual low point towards the end of the month, Copernicus said, adding that if confirmed, this would be the second-lowest daily minimum coverage in the satellite record. (AFP)