Parts of icy Antarctica are turning green with plant life as the region is gripped by extreme heat events, new research shows, sparking concerns about the changing landscape on this vast continent.

Satellite imagery shows that vegetation on the peninsula grew from less than one square kilometres in 1986 to almost 12sqkm by 2021

Researchers used satellite data to assess how much the Antarctic Peninsula has been “greening” in response to climate change.

Antarctica's icy landscapes are turning green due to extreme heat, with vegetation increasing over tenfold in 40 years. Researchers warn this change, particularly in the Antarctic Peninsula, may harm local wildlife and alter the region's climate dynamics.

In the last four decades, there has been a dramatic tenfold rise in vegetation cover on the Antarctic Peninsula. This new revelation comes from the universities of Exeter and Hertfordshire, and the British Antarctic Survey.