Antarctica’s Eagle Island now has a side that’s almost ice-free following this month’s searing heat wave in the region, images released by NASA show.

Why it maters: “The warm spell caused widespread melting on nearby glaciers,” NASA said in its report. It’s the third major melt event of the 2019-2020 Southern Hemisphere summer, following warm spells in January and last November, according to the United Nation’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Such persistent warmth was not typical in Antarctica until the 21st century, but it has become more common in recent years.”

— NASA statementDriving the news: The Argentine Antarctic research base Esperanza reported a temperature of 64.9°F on Feb. 9 — indicating a “likely legitimate record,” per the WMO, which is still verifying the statistics.