Longyearbyen airport had an average temperature of 6.1°C, which is 2.5°C above normal. Global air and sea surface temperatures were also at record levels.

Glaciers are melting, permafrost thaws and buildings are sagging. What scares the scientists most is studies of decomposing carbon from beneath the ground being emitted to the atmosphere as CO2 or methane.

During this summer, the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard has been melting five times faster than normal. "Svalbard is a hotspot for Arctic warming", experts warn.

Rising Arctic temperatures are causing centuries-old graves on Svalbard to deteriorate, with collapsing coffins exposing skeletal remains to the elements.

Warming temperatures across the Arctic are causing permafrost to thaw and the ground to sink, prompting a new study to call for improved monitoring of these changes.