Canada: World’s largest skating rink to remain closed due to lack of ice, Winter games cancelled in Auli due to lack of snowfall, Antarctic sea ice hit record lows again and more in top stories of the day.
Canada: World’s largest skating rink to remain closed due to lack of ice!
For the first time in five decades, the renowned Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa, Canada, which is also the world’s largest outdoor rink, will not open due to a lack of ice. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the skateway stretches as far as 7.8km long, and is immensely popular among both locals and tourists. However, in recent years, Ottawa has been experiencing warmer winters. This year, it faced the third-warmest winter in history, the reason why there is not enough stable, solid ice to support ice skating.
As per the records, the temperatures must stay between -10 to -20 degree Celsius, for the canal to stay frozen. Since it’s famed for being the world’s largest outdoor rink, it usually opens in January, and is one of the primary highlights of Ottawa. However, the skateway will remain closed this year due to lack of ice, in a huge blow for all the visitors who were excited and planning to enjoy ice skating this year. The National Capital Commission (NCC) has called for a series of climate adaptation studies, and is making all efforts to try to keep the skateway open earlier and for longer.
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Auli: Winter games cancelled due to lack of snowfall
As per the latest developments, the winter games that were scheduled to be held in Auli from February 23 to 26, have been cancelled. If reports are to go by, the games have been cancelled due to less snowfall in the region this winter.
Referring to this, the Ski and Snowboard Association of Uttarakhand added that this year, winter games won’t be held due to lack of snowfall, and also confirmed the event’s cancellation. Auli is located barely 11 km away from Joshimath, which as reported earlier, has been hit by land subsidence A number of visitors used to take the ropeway from Joshimath to reach Auli, however, as soon as town’s situation hit the headlines, it has been witnessed that Auli has also taken a hit in terms of footfall.
Antarctic sea ice hit record lows again.
Antarctic sea ice has reached record low levels for the second time in two years, with some scientists alarmed that dramatic drops are a signal the climate crisis may now be more clearly influencing this vast, complex and isolated region.
The sea ice that fringes Antarctica dropped to just 737,000 square miles (1.91 million square kilometers) on February 13, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, or NSIDC, below the previous record of 741,000 square miles (1.92 million square kilometers) set on February 25 last year. Sea ice could still shrink further; the lowest level of the southern summer may not be reached for more than a week. It’s too early to say whether the record sea ice decline is the new normal or whether it will bounce back, and Antarctica is known for its significant swings.
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