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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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The result is clear: 2020 is the hottest year ever in the country
Experts fear the future could be like the record year 2020: Shorter and warmer winters, wetter summers.
Oslo, Oslo, Norway
NRK
Louise Scharff Thommessen, Tiril Mettesdatter Solvang, Hallvard Nordum

Reeking whale carcasses plaguing Withernsea with sickening smell
Given the rarity of similar incidents, the whales have attracted a large crowd since Christmas Eve. On Boxing Day, the Coastguard confirmed that patrols have been taking place to ensure the safety of the public in the days since the animals were stranded.
Withernsea, England, United Kingdom
HullLive

Watch: Skaters glide on mirror-like ice
Scientists measured 16 centimeters of snow in Kilpisjärvi on Thursday, which is far less than the average depth of 39 centimeters for this time of year, according to Siiskonen. Less of the white stuff than usual, creating unusual opportunities for long-distance skating enthusiasts.
Kilpisjärvi, Lapland, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Vermilion flycatcher - A big red surprise
Late on the afternoon of Nov. 18, Kathy Marche, birding in Stephenville, came across a very colorful bird unfamiliar to her. She took photos but had to wait until she got home to look up the identification.
Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
The Telegram

Moscow Sees Warmest Fall on Record
The average temperature for September, October and November was 3.2 degrees C, which is 4.4 C above normal.
Moscow, Moscow, Russia
The Moscow Times

The permafrost in Jotunheimen is thawing – We do not know the consequences
Underground, a mighty giant is disintegrating: the permafrost is about to drop its roof. Constantly creeping upwards, the permafrost zone is now 100 meters further up the mountainside than 20 years ago.
Mt. Juvvasshøe, Lom, Innlandet, Norway
NRK
Ragnhild Moen Holø, Even Lusæter, Roar Berntsen

Autumn rains eight times more then last year
A year ago Bergensarane was bathed in autumn sun. This autumn it was bathed in rain. In fact, it has come in eight times more rainfall in November this year than last year.
Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
NRK

Spring phenomenon in November: There goes the ice for the third time this fall
The warmest November in over 100 years has had unusual consequences in Finnmark. The video shows the third breakup this autumn.
Tana, Norway

Covid in Scotland: Social distancing could wreck mountain footpaths
A surge in the popularity of hillwalking during this year's coronavirus pandemic has seen daily visitor numbers at Ben Lomond grow from 1,000 on a normal sunny weekend to around 2,000. Walkers leaving official paths to avoid other people is causing hillside erosion and damage to vegetation.
Mt. Ben Lomand
BBC News

30 degrees warmer than last year
On Friday, it was measured 12.8 degrees C in Folldal, over 30 degrees warmer than on the same day last year.
Folldal, Innlandet, Norway

Visible Damage to Cancún's Trees
Trees which normally obscure the view of the sea, have lost all of their leaves.
Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Hurricane Zeta is ashore in resort zone of Mexico’s Yucatan
Zeta broke the record for the previous earliest 27th Atlantic named storm that formed Nov. 29, 2005. It’s also the 11th hurricane of the season. An average season sees six hurricanes and 12 named storms.
Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico
WTOP

Dead giant octopuses washed ashore south from Kamchtka peninsula on the Kuril Islands
A mass die off of fish and invertebrates has been reported in the Sea of Okhotsk, west of Kamchatka. Dozens of surfers reported symptoms including including poor eyesight, fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, skin rashes and head and throat aches.
Severo-Kuril’sk, Sakhalin, Russia
Siberian Times

Hurricane Delta lashes Mexico's Yucatan, then heads for US
Hurricane Delta emerged into the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday and headed toward Louisiana after making landfall just south of the Mexican resort of Cancun, toppling trees and and cutting power to residents of the Yucatan peninsula’s resort-studded coast.
Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico
AP NEWS

Debris from 3/11 disaster now washing ashore across Okinawa
Plastic containers washed out to sea after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster are starting to wash up on the shores of Okinawa Prefecture, leaving residents puzzled at the time it took for the items to travel just 2,000 kilometers.
Naha, Okinawa, Japan
The Asahi Shimbun

Eco disaster at Kamchatka peninsula with mass death of sea animals at precious Pacific beach
Khalaktyrsky Beach near Petropavlovsk is littered with hundreds of dead sea animals, from deep-sea Giant Pacific octopuses, to seals, sea urchins, stars, crabs and fish. Surfers were the first to raise alarm after problems with eyesight, fevers and throat aches.
Khalaktyrsky Beach
Siberian Times

No treasure found under the rainbow: The soil is full of plastic garbage
In the pictures, Måøya looks like a pristine natural gem on the coast of Trøndelag. But when scientists and adolescents started digging into the soil, they got shock.
Måøya, Frøya, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway
Solvår Flatås, Stein Lorentzen, Morten Andersen

After record-warm summer in Svalbard, extreme meltdown on the glacier
When glaciologist Jack Kohler returned to Austre Brøggerbreen in Svalbard, he was shocked. More than three meters of the ice at the glacier front had melted away. That's a record. And an ice tunnel had become a trench.
Austre Brøggerbreen, Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen

Badger on the Finnmark plateau: – very strange, but also very fun
Odd Arne Hætta thought his dog Leo had found an elk, but it turned out to be something else entirely. Badgers are not common so far north but, sporadic cases have been observed in the past, including in Skibotn in Troms.
Čuonjájávri, Kautokeino, Norway
Marie Elise Nystad, Tom Stian Tretnes Hansen

Mushers react to scary closure of chum fishery
A lack of chum salmon is causing pain in riverside communities of Yukon and Alaska, as mushers are left without a traditional source of food.
Old Crow, Yukon, Canada
CBC

These are among the rarest birds you can see in Norway
This week, bird enthusiast Nils Harry Lillejord experienced a kind of "holy grail" for those who watch birds. When he was on his way to work, he saw a Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus). The bird has only been seen twenty times since 1835.
Stormyrjordene, Bodø, Nordland, Norway

Stunning beach with hundreds of colourful sparkling pebbles damaged by typhoon Maysak
The remarkable glass beach was formed after years of dumping old vodka, wine and beer bottles, along with jars and ceramics during the Soviet era. Record strong wind destroyed at least half of the unique beach on Ussuri bay.
Vladivostok, Primorskiy, Russia
Siberia Times

Waterfowl Disappearance and Other Lake Ecosystem Changes
Residents note significant changes in the Christiansen Lake ecosystem since 2019. This includes fewer nesting birds, fish, and mammals around the lake, while the leech population has increased along with the occurrence of algal blooms.
Talkeetna, Alaska, United States

They're everywhere - but do they pinch?
The changing summer weather has led to a scissor-like boom in Southern Norway. Biologist reassures those who feel threatened.
Vestby, Akershus, Norway
Lise Gro Andersen, Christian Nicolai Bjørke, Lars Håkon Pedersen

Western Red Cedar die-off in Pacific Spirit Park
In the last few years, I have observed a significant die-off of Western red cedar in several high traffic and peripheral areas of Pacific Spirit Regional Park (PSRP). The majority of the cedar trees I saw were noticeably consumed by browning, small, and young, with most likely more shallow root systems. This is consistent with vegetative stress to which young trees have not developed resilience, but older trees may be less impacted
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
David Oswald, Cody Thomas, Lauren Wright

Cloudberry bogs are collapsing - climate change is to blame
In Finnmark and parts of Troms, good and favorite berry bogs have cracked and disappeared. The reason is warmer and more humid climate. "Almost impossible to reverse," says a bog researcher.
Karasjok, Finnmark Fylke, Norway

Summer resident killed by great white in Maine’s first fatal shark attack
Julie Dimperio Holowach, a recently retired fashion executive from New York City, was swimming near Bailey Island on Monday afternoon when she was attacked.
Portland, Maine, United States
Press Herald

Invasive grass carp caught in Chambly Basin
Scientists say the grass carp population in the Chambly Basin is probably small, but the presence of this species in any number is bad news.
Chambly, Quebec, Canada
Montreal Gazette

Finland to bask in warm weekend weather
Conditions will heat up with every passing day and weekend highs will be in the 20s across the country.
Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Brown booby makes rare visit to Ireland
Birders are continuing to flock to Greystones in Co Wicklow after what is believed to be the first ever sighting of a brown booby in Ireland.
Greystones, Leinster, Ireland
RTE.ie

Fisherman snags barracuda off Vancouver Island in rare encounter
Ferocious fish, not native to Canada, was netted and released in Alberni Inlet
Alberni Inlet, Vancouver Island, Canada
Port Alberni Valley News

Early Ripe Blueberries
Moose Mountain, Fairbanks, AK

Measured new cold record in Inland Norway
On Saturday night a new cold record was measured for July at Sognefjellshytta. There is unusually high cold and wind in several places in Norway right now. And little indicates improvement over the next few days.
Sognefjellshytta, Lom kommune
Vibeke Cederkvist, Maria Gran, Even Lusæter

Botswana reports mysterious deaths of hundreds of elephants
Officials in the southern African nation have confirmed at least 275 deaths mainly near seasonal water pans. Both male and female elephants of all ages died, with clinical signs limited to neurologic symptoms.
Okavango Delta

Jellyfish the size of dinner plates on Northeast beaches
Some beaches in the northeastern United States are dealing with more than the threat of COVID-19 this holiday weekend. They have to contend with an unwelcome visitor: the Lion's Mane jellyfish.
Scituate, Massachusetts, United States
CNN

New song in Canada's white-throated sparrows
Most bird species are slow to change their songs, preferring to stick with tried-and-true tunes to defend territories and attract females — but this shift went viral across Canada.
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
CBC

Southern resident whales returning later to Salish Sea in ‘drastic’ change
Southern resident killer whales made their first appearance in the Salish Sea on Canada Day after more than two months with only a brief sighting off the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Strait of Georgia
Times Colonist

Extremely Wet June
Fairbanks summers are trending toward more precipitation. June 2020 set two rainfall records for the Fairbanks area.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Emerald ash borer keeping some GRCA properties closed
That includes the trail at the south end of Wrigley Lake in North Dumfries
Byng Island Conservation Area, Ontario
KitchenerToday.com

First a whale, now a bearded seal spotted in Laval
A video posted to social media shows the seal sunbathing on a floating dock in Laval, close to where the Mille Îles River joins the St. Lawrence River.
Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada
Global News

Saint Lucians Urged To Protect Themselves Against Saharan Dust
Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Health has advised citizens to take measures to protect themselves from the ill effects of Saharan dust.
Castries, Castries Quarter, Saint Lucia
St. Lucia Times News

Increasing catch of spruce bark beetles
"Throughout Viken in the lowlands there is an increasing evidence of spruce bark beetles and that is worrying. What is positive is that in Measure Package No 2 from the Government you receive financial compensation for wind fall logging and forest management" says Lars Kr. Haug, head of forestry at Viken Skog.
Viken county, Norway
Viken Skog

Northern anchovy blooms bring more sea life to Burrard Inlet
Northern anchovy are becoming more comment perhaps due to warmer temperatures. A 10-centimetre-long fish represents an anchovy that's about a year old suggesting that the fish are spawned locally in the pelagic zone, or upper, warmer zone of the seawater.
Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada
CBC

Orca pod makes rare appearance in Vancouver’s False Creek
It's a rare sight in Vancouver's False Creek, but a pod of orcas was spotted swimming the city's most inner waterway on Wednesday.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Global News

Manet invasion in the Oslo Fjord
Large menger glass jellyfish in the Oslo fjord cause problems for both beachgoers and shrimp fishermen. The whole trawl was full before it reached the bottom where the shrimp are.
Saltnes, Østfold, Norway

Large landslides have passed in Alta
One person was evacuated and brought to safety after the landslide at Kråkneset in Alta municipality. A total of eight buildings were swept to the sea in the 650-metre landslide. Due to a high avalanche risk, police have still not entered the area.
Kråkenes, Alta, Norway
Sofie Dege Dimmen, Ida Loise Rostad, Idun Aalbu Rasmussen, Jo Hermstad Tronsen

Increased tick prevalence in Northeastern Saskatchewan
The increase over the past eight years, attributed to climate change, changing host migration patterns, and ticks' adaptability to drier and colder climates, posing significant public health risks.
Pasquia Hills, SK

Rare bird in historic visit to Sweden
A rare bird that has only been sighted twice before in Europe turned up in western Sweden on Sunday, causing great excitement among ornithologists.
Göteborg, Västra Götalands län, Sweden
Radio Sweden

Heat wave brings record-breaking temperatures to Sonoma County. Here's how long it will last
At 97 degrees, Tuesday was the hottest day of the year in Santa Rosa, breaking the 1974 record high for May 26.
Santa Rosa, California, United States
Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Pasque Flowers Blooming in Tok
In Alaska, pasque flowers are known to bloom in May, but increasingly warm temperatures may create conditions that lead to earlier bloom times.
Tok, Alaska, United States

Humpback whale breaching east of Vancouver spotted by Burnaby seniors
Some residents of a Burnaby retirement home were about to start a meditation class on Wednesday when a humpback whale sighting stole their focus.
Burrard Inlet, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
CBC News

Increased Beaver (genus Castor) Activity Resulting in Localized Flooding
Pathway repair and flood mitigation work at odds with Beaver Management Plan, as beaver dams cause localized flooding.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Invasive Common Wall Lizard Continues to Spread, Saanich
I have lived along Epsom Drive, between Cedar Hill Golf course and Cedar Hill Road for 22 years. I have seen a common wall lizard once, in late spring of 2020 at our address.
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Cody Thomas, Dionne Sanderson, Eva Gribbon, David Oswald

What Happened to Our Cold Spring Nights?
We went from relatively cold days and nights in late March, to warm days and warm nights in April. This means no overnight freezing of snow, and no crust conditions for skiers...yet.
Crane Johnson, Mike Brubaker, Richard L Thoman Jr

Fresh bear tracks in popular hiking area
"It is unusual for bears with youngsters to wake up so early and it is difficult to say why these have come out. The bears may have been disturbed by humans or other animals."
Dákteroavvi, Finnmark Fylke, Norway

Coyote (Canis latrans) Observed in Edmonton Urban Setting
A coyote was observed in urban Edmonton, when they are usually found in grasslands, agricultural lands, or forested areas.
Beaumont, Alberta, Canada

Patches of Disrupted Trees
I noticed sections of trees that had fallen over and or had their tops broken off. I'm wondering if it was a micro storm or a disease that affected the trees.
Barnard, Vermont, United States

Record in Riksgränsen – over five meters of snow: "Crazy lot"
This year's snow record has been broken in Riksgränsen. More than five metres of snow was recorded at the ski resort on Monday morning – and more precipitation is expected.
Björkliden Fjällby, Norrbotten, Sweden
Aftonbladet

Starving monkey 'gangs' battle in Thailand as coronavirus keeps tourists away
Video from Lopburi, Thailand shows two gangs of monkeys brawling in the street over a scrap of food. Coronavirus may be to blame.
Lopburi, Thailand
livescience.com

Sandstorm grounds Finnish tourists in Canary Islands
A sandstorm sweeping in from the Sahara stranded hundreds of tourists enjoying a winter break in the Canary Islands.
Canary Islands, Spain
Yle Uutiset

The day the world’s most polluted city was in Siberia
The locals call it Black Sky, a combination of weather conditions and the exhaust from dozens of factories in this industrial city on the Yenisei river.
Krasnoyarsk, Krasnoyarskiy, Russia
Siberia Times

Vasaloppet ski race organisers scramble to put extra snow on the course
Sweden's most famous ski race gets underway next week.This weekend's wind and rain has led to puddles on the 90 kilometre-long course, and volunteers are working feverishly before thousands of skiers descend on the course.
Sälen, Dalarna, Sweden
Radio Sweden

Otters spotted in southern Alberta city for first time in about a century
Some welcome new visitors have recently appeared in a southeastern Alberta park — otters.
Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Snowmachiner dies in avalanche near Cooper Lake
A snowmachiner was killed Monday afternoon in an avalanche on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska State Troopers reported late Monday night.
Cooper Landing, Alaska, United States
KTUU

Low air pressure paralyzes air traffic in North Norway - this is historic and extreme
Widerøe has had several flight cancellations this morning. This is because the air pressure in parts of Northern Norway are too low for planes to take off. In modern times, Widerøe has never had to ground planes due to low pressure.
Bodø, Nordland, Norway
Lise Forfang Hagen, Gisle Forland, Kirsti Kringstad, Emil H. Indsetviken

Extreme weather 'Elsa' hit the coast of Norway
The extreme weather "Elsa" left its mark along the Norwegian coast on Monday night until Tuesday. In many places the water has gone far above the ordinary flood level and many cellars have been filled with water.
Måløy, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
Geir Bjarte Hjetland, Ingrid Aarekol, Benedikte Grov, Roy Raasholm Fauske, Olaug Bjørneset, Julianne Bråten Mossing

After avalanche scare, Anchorage’s Kincaid Park sand dunes off-limits to Junior Nordic skiers
No one was hurt when a slab avalanche buried one child and partially buried two others.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Two North Shore ski mountains, Buntzen Lake closed because of rain
A couple of North Shore ski hills and Buntzen Lake in Anmore were closed Friday because of heavy rainfall, as Metro Vancouver prepared for another deluge Friday night.
Anmore, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Sun

A total of 23 precipitation records have been broken - on Vega it has rained almost every single day
The island of Vega in Helgeland, which has a measurement station from 1999, has not had as much rain in 15 years. They had 27 rainy days in January.
Vega, Nordland, Norway

'Brilliant blues' of mountain lakes change as glaciers shrink
Shimmering mountain lakes will start to show new colours in coming years, new research suggests.
Zigadenus Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

100 places in Norway are set to set temperature records
The birds are singing, the flowers are germinating and the snow is not visible. January is record-breaking in several places in the country and Oslo sets a new snow-free record.
Oslo, Norway
Tiril Mettesdatter Solvang, Kirsti Haga Honningsøy

Several rainfall records have already been broken - now a warning has been sent out on Helgeland
Several rainfall records in Nordland have already been struck. Now a warning has been sent out for even more of the same. - We are in the top tier of what we have measured by rainfall over the last 100 years, says meteorologist Bente Wahl.
Bodø, Nordland, Norway

Icing in the high mountains produces desperate reindeer
Icy conditions in the mountains have caused wild reindeer to descend towards the hut areas to find food. In several places ski areas are now closed to prevent the reindeer from being disturbed.
Hovden, Aust-Agder, Norway

The tick season is underway - The earliest I've heard of
From April to November, most dog owners are used to checking their dogs for small crawling ticks that have become stuck in the fur of their pets.
Moss, Østfold, Norway

Weathering 'Storm of the Century'
Conception Bay South was dealt a hard hand by what some have dubbed the ‘storm of the century.’ At least two local churches, Topsail United and All Saints in Foxtrap saw siding ripped off their steeples by the 120 kph winds.The most extensive damage was along the coastline, with both CBS mayor Terry French and Royal Newfoundland Yacht Club Commodore Larry LeDrew estimating millions of dollars worth of damage.
Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
The Shoreline News

Hundreds of thousands of fish dead in NSW as bushfire ash washed into river
Ecologist fears the Macleay River may take decades to recover, with heavy rains likely to affect other waterways
Macleay River, New South Wales, Australia
the Guardian

Scientists: Winter is shrinking at both ends
It's January 15th and the first signs of spring are here. The biologist found a snail in the garden, and in the flower box of the meteorologist sprout and grow it. Both are concerned.
Røa, Oslo, Norway
NRK, Norsk Rikskringkasting
Ida Theresa Myklebost, Dagny Elisabeth Ulland

Unusually warm in Northern Norway
You wouldn't think it was early January.
Birtavarre værstasjon
Meterologene, Meterologisk Institutt (The Norwegian Meteroligical Institute)

Cyanobacteria in a deep well contaminates community water source
In 2020, contamination of the community water well by cyanobacteria caused the community to evacuate for 26 days. How the well was contaminated is unknown.
Kingcome Inlet

Seven miles of ice stopper loosened and damaged several houses
400 residents lost the road connection and several houses were evacuated when a seven-mile-long ice stopper came loose, carrying large masses of ice and water. Today, the municipality is on inspection to look at the damage.
Beiarn River, Norway

New heat record again - 19 degrees on Sunndalsøra
A new heat record for January. Sunndalsøra in Nordmøre measured 19 plus degrees in the morning.
Sunndalsøra, Møre og Romsdal, Norway

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