Arctic sea ice volume went below 6 thousand km³ record early (just as for 10, 9, 8 & 7). But this chart shows we didn’t quite manage to beat the 2012 record for first below 5, or 4.

Q: Where’s the data source for this plot?
A: Here: arctic-sea-ice-volume-for-july-2019-from-piomas/
Q: Why only 5 years and why these particular years?
A: Elementary. These are the 5 years on record that came closest to a Blue Ocean Event.

Due in large part to ongoing Collapse of Arctic Sea Ice our Frozen Earth is Going South.