The biggest iceberg in the world has broken loose from an ice shelf in Antarctica, the European Space Agency has confirmed.

The iceberg, dubbed “A-76”, is 109 miles (175km) long and 16 miles (25km) wide, making it larger than the Spanish island of Majorca and surpassing the now second-largest iceberg, which is 3,380sq km.

British Antarctic Survey first spotted the iceberg in the Weddell Sea after it had sheared from the Ronne Ice Shelf.

Details were confirmed by the US National Ice Center using imagery from Copernicus Sentinel-1, two polar-orbiting satellites that provide a year-round view of remote regions like Antarctica.

Icebergs periodically break free from ice shelves in a natural process known as “calving”.

Ice melt around the world, which contributes to sea level rise, has been accelerated by climate change.

Sky News has launched the first daily prime time news show dedicated to climate change.

The Daily Climate Show is broadcast at 6.30pm and 9.30pm Monday to Friday on Sky News, the Sky News website and app, on YouTube and Twitter.

Hosted by Anna Jones, it follows Sky News correspondents as they investigate how global warming is changing our landscape and how we all live our lives.

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