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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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Observations

Melting glaciers increase supply of electrical power in Iceland
Melting glaciers in Iceland are contributing to an increased supply of electrical power. In the past ten years, the additional supply has amounted to one medium-sized power plant.
Iceland
RÚV

Good, though late, berry picking season
The berry picking promises to be good all over Iceland this year, even though it is starting late, due to the cool, wet summer. Arna, the lactose-free dairy company based in Bolungarvík, has already received a tonne of wild bilberries, which will be used in yoghurt for sale in shops all over Iceland.
Iceland
RÚV

Avalanche stopped short of ski resort
Several avalanches have fallen in Eskifjörður in the last few days, and the Met Office assesses a considerable risk of avalanches in the mountains of the Eastfjords, the Trölli Peninsula, and Eyjafjörður.
Eskifjörður, East, Iceland
RÚV

Grindavík eruptions
The Grindavík eruptions began on January 13, 2024, in the Southern Peninsula of Iceland.
Grindavík, Southern Peninsula, Iceland

Surprise flood kills salmon in West Iceland
A jökulhlaup flood struck West Iceland’s Hvítá river in the early hours of Tuesday morning when water from a lagoon by the Langjökull glacier suddenly broke a new path and flowed in a different direction. Thick glacial mud now coats the river banks, and much of Borgarfjörður fjord.

18 quakes over 3.0 since midnight - the largest 5.0
Despite the very strong activity, widely felt throughout Reykjanes Peninsula as well as the capital area and beyond, there remains no sign of any volcanic eruption.
Reykjavík, Capital Region, Iceland

Fewer choosing studded tires
Roughly eight percent fewer drivers now choose to use studded winter tires on their cars than two years ago, according to FÍB, the Icelandic Automobile Association. It is worth noting that early winter this year has been mild and that some drivers may be holding off.
Reykjavík, Capital Region, Iceland

Possible wildfire-related fog in northern regions
A fog-like mist in northern Iceland may be connected to forest fires in Canada, with meteorologists suspecting that diluted smoke from the fires has reached the country due to prevailing winds blowing from west to east.
Iceland

Images of Siglufjörður house damage emerge
There is considerable damage to a house on Aðalgatu in Siglufjörður after the roof came off in a storm last night. Ólöf Rún Erlendsdóttir, reporter, and Sölvi Andrason, cameraman, are in Siglufjörður and sent pictures of the damage.
Siglufjörður, Northeast, Iceland

Snowless winter and tough year overall
The winter so far has seen very little snow in Iceland. December snowfall was well below average in both Reykjavík and Akureyri. Meteorologist Elín Björk Jónasdóttir says it has been one of the least white winters in living memory so far.
Akureyri, Northeast, Iceland

The changing behaviour of humpback whales
There are currently fewer minke whales and more humpbacks in Icelandic waters than usual for the time of year, and some appear to be skipping the southward migration altogether.
Húsavík, Northeast, Iceland

Glacial flooding continues in the Grímsvötn area
The flooding started yesterday in the Grímsvötn volcano area. The water flow at the source of the discharge reaches 300 cubic metres per second. The jökulhlaup is expected to last about 24 hours, which is how long the water takes to get to the Gígjukvísl canal on Road 1.

Child hospitalized after exposure to volcanic gases
Thelma Dórey Pálmadóttir, age 14, fell ill while visiting the Geldingadalir eruption on Easter Sunday. She was one of ten people who reported symptoms. The explanation from doctors is that it was probably volcanic gas poisoning.
Grindavík, Southern Peninsula, Iceland

Survived traveling 200 meters in an ice slush flood
"Just when I get into the machine, I just manage to sit in the seat and then the body of the excavator fills with slush and presses me against the window and then presses the whole machine off the road into the valley."
Bakfjorden, Måsøy, Troms and Finnmark County, Norway

Bad spring for bumblebees
Queens are usually out and about at this time of year feeding up on nectar and preparing to nest for the summer. Things are disappointingly quiet this spring, and last summer’s endless rain is the likely reason.
Reykjavík, Capital Region, Iceland

Oiled ducks euthanised
A vet this weekend euthanised a majority of the eider ducks being looked after in Suðureyri, the Westfjords, after over 9,000 litres of oil spilled into the sea from a tank owned by the Orkubú Vestfjarða energy company. The leak killed at least a hundred birds, but dozens more were rescued.
Suðureyri, Westfjords, Iceland

Record capelin catch landed
Börkur NK docked in Seyðisfjörður this weekend with a hold full of capelin. The fish took 18 hours to land and came in at 3,400 tonnes—which is likely the most capelin ever landed from a single tour in Iceland, according to a statement from Síldarvinnslan.
Seyðisfjörður, East, Iceland

People followed instructions during the storm
Weather warnings for northern gales and heavy rainfall that swept through the country yesterday expired last night. The weather was accompanied by heavy precipitation, snow or sleet, and widespread winter conditions on the roads.
Vík í Mýrdal, South, Iceland

Sandstorm caused a cloud over the capital
Suspended particulates' concentration in the capital area was high today due to a sandstorm on the desert sands of South Iceland, the city of Reykjavik warned at noon.

Record-breaking cold?
The thermometer at the main visitor centre in Þingvellir National Park went all the way down to –9.6°C last night and meteorologists confirm that is one of the coldest temperatures ever recorded in a built-up area at this time of year—and could even have been a new record.
Laugarvatn, South, Iceland

Akureyri bottlenose whale found dead
The death of one of the bottlenose whales that have been entertaining residents and visitors in Akureyri was confirmed this weekend.
Akureyri, Northeast, Iceland

Extended Cold Snap
The capital area, along with most of Iceland, has experienced constant below-freezing temperatures for a couple of weeks now.

Wild and windy winter "worst in 20 years"
A steel-framed building was broken apart by wind in Hafnarfjörður on Friday, search & rescue teams attended over a hundred call-outs, and Hellisheiði and other important roads were closed once more. February was one of the coldest and windiest for many years.

Orange weather warning: “Like a wall of rain”
The yellow weather alert released yesterday for north and west Iceland has been strengthened to an orange weather warning for the Westfjords region that will stay in effect until midnight. Wind and rain are causing severe disruption.
Ísafjörður, Westfjords, Iceland

Coldest June night in 43 years
The temperature in Akureyri last night dropped to -1°C, the coldest night this late in June since 1978—or 43 years ago.
Akureyri, Northeast, Iceland

30 percent have been bitten
The notorious lúsmý (Culicoides reconditus), a species of biting midge that has colonised Iceland for the first time in the past few years. The tiny flies can cause severe reactions, with large, sore, itchy spots that can remain angry for a week or more, and sometimes spread into a sort of rash.
Húnaþing vestra, Northwestern, Iceland

Wettest March on record
After some well-founded speculation a week ago, reported on in some media, the Met Office has now confirmed that this March was the wettest on record in Reykjavík--and the winter overall saw the most precipitation ever recorded in various locations around Iceland.

Continued river warnings in north
According to police sources, flow in the region’s swollen rivers dropped slightly overnight, but that this is likely explained because the air temperature usually drops overnight. Flow is expected to increase again today.
Hjalteyri, Northeast, Iceland

Arctic Char Population Rapidly Declining
The stock of arctic char in Elliðavatn lake has almost collapsed. Similar developments are taking place in Norway as well. Hilmar Malmquist, head of the freshwater division at the Marine Research Institute, believe that climate change is the main explanation.
Kopavogur, Capital Region, Iceland

Seabirds were not killed by flu
Close to 300 birds were found during a sweep of East Fjords beaches. No sign of bird flu was found in samples from dead seabirds. It is thought likely the birds died of hunger, as most were very thin. No widespread seabird deaths have been reported in any other region at this time.
Djupivogur, East, Iceland

East Iceland hit 18 degrees yesterday
Genuine summertime temperatures were recorded in East Iceland yesterday. The warmest place was Dalatangi, which reached 18°C. Not far behind was Bjarnarey on 17.8°C and Eskifjörður recorded 16.6°C.
Dalatangi, Iceland

100 horses confirmed dead in storm
100 dead horses have been found following the major storm that hit Iceland last week. Some are still missing and the search continues. Some horses are known to remain in danger and vets say that farmers are exhausted.
Skagafjörður, Norðurland vestra, Iceland

Rare thunder and lightning over Mosfellsbær
Stormy conditions in the southwestern and western parts of the country saw residents experiencing thunder and lightning yesterday. Eysteinn Örn Stefánsson captured a video of lightning that struck Mosfellsbær, which can be seen in the player above.
Mosfellsbær, Capital Region, Iceland

Puffin saved by lucky chance
A group on a glacier expedition on Langjökull yesterday stumbled across a puffin lying in the snow. According to group leader Martha Jónasdóttir, the bird was found right at the centre of the glacier—Iceland's second-largest.
Borgarnes, West, Iceland

The sea is getting warmer
The sea temperatures around Iceland have been higher than the average for the past 20 years, and the sea around the whole country has become more acidic, according to data recorded by the Marine Research Institute.

Weather worries in south and east
Very heavy rain has affected South and East Iceland throughout Sunday and overnight. An area of Seyðisfjörður has been evacuated and road closures were announced in three places due to an avalanche, an ice flood, and a downed power line.
Seyðisfjörður, East, Iceland

2020 has been kind to Iceland’s eagles
2020 was the second most successful year on record for Iceland’s sea eagles. Currently there are 85 breeding pairs—mostly around the Breiðafjörður area. This year, there have been 51 eaglets from 60 nests.
Stykkishólmur, West, Iceland

Record-breaking November weather
The average temperature was higher than normal in all parts of the country and in Reykjavík November was warmer than October.
Reykjavík, Reykjavík, Iceland

Mixed fortunes for berry pickers this year
The south and west of the country are on course for a good harvest, as the sun has been a near-constant companion all season. Berry pickers in East Iceland are less optimistic.
Egilsstaðir, East, Iceland

Deadliest storm in decades for Icelandic horses
Last week’s storm was the most fatal natural disaster to Iceland’s horses in decades. The situation was worst in Vestur- and Austur Húnavatnssýsla, but horses died elsewhere around the country as well.
Vesturland, Iceland

Oil spill alert received
The Icelandic coastguard coordination centre yesterday received a red oil pollution warning from the European Maritime Safety Agency. The warning was accompanied by a satellite image showing an oil slick some 50 nautical miles southwest of the Reykjanes peninsula.

Flowers bloom again in an unusually warm November
Kale is sprouting even though it's mid-November.  Eucalyptus, rock rose, and Lenten roses don’t seem to be in the mood for winter, as they still wear their summer colors of green and red. It has been warm over almost all of the country, and never in the history of the capital has been a hotter November than this year.

Puffin changes on Arctic island
The season’s first puffins arrived on Grímsey island—the only part of Iceland to cross the Arctic Circle—a few days ago and the birds are generally arriving in Iceland significantly earlier each year than they used to.
Grímsey, Northeast, Iceland

Brand new whale behaviour caught on video
Whale watchers in Eyjafjörður, North Iceland, witnessed something new and exciting during a tour last weekend. A marine biologist describes the hunting behaviour as unique and something never before seen around Iceland.
Hjalteyri, Northeast, Iceland

Road breaks up in heavy rain
The road through Svínadalur, near Súlá river in Leirársveit, broke apart this morning, trapping three tourists who could not get their car out again.
Akranes, West, Iceland

62 whales die on Northeast beach
62 pilot whales swam onto the shore at Ytra Lón on the Langanes peninsula, northeast Iceland, on Friday evening. All died.
Þórshöfn, Northeast, Iceland

Báru kennsl á háhyrning sem rak á land
Samtökin Orca Guardians telja að háhyrningur sem rak á land við Heydalsá á Ströndum sé háhyrningur sem samtökin sáu síðast úti fyrir Grundarfirði í janúar 2016. Samtökin halda úti ljósmyndasafni með yfir 400 háhyrningum við Íslandsstrendur til að þekkja þá í sundur og fylgjast með ferðum þeirra, samsetningu hópa, fæðuvali og stofnstærð.

Two whale carcasses wash ashore
The body of a minke whale washed ashore in the Grandi area of Reykjavík yesterday, shortly following the discovery of a dead orca whale near Hólmavík in the Westfjords.

Southern potato farmers despair
The wet weather this summer and autumn in southwest Iceland is causing a major headache for the region’s potato farmers. Þykkvibær, one of the country’s best-known potato producers, is suffering a mould outbreak in its potato beds for the first time in 20 years and the soil is too wet for harvesting machines to get to work.
Þykkvibaer, South, Iceland

Warmest July on record in north and east
This July was the warmest on record in nearly all of North and East Iceland. The average temperature was above 14°C at several weather stations, and no average monthly temperature in Iceland is ever known to have been higher.

Dozens of vehicles damaged as roads crumble
A large number of drivers have suffered damage to their vehicles, including tyre blow-outs, as winter weather has caused potholes to appear in roads maintained both by local councils and the road and coastal administration. Repairs are underway, but conditions are still bumpy, as heavy snow has turned to ice, and then to rushing meltwater on several occasions. Such conditions are notoriously damaging to road surfaces.

Wind blew asphalt off road
Wednesday night’s storm in North Iceland brought exceptionally warm air and extreme wind conditions. The small village of Borgarfjörður eystri, in the north of the East Fjords, suffered damage that included asphalt blowing off a paved road surface.
Bakkagerdi, East, Iceland

Rare birds stop off in Iceland
Two bird species that breed in the northernmost parts of the world are currently on a rare visit to Iceland as they make their way south for the winter.
Gardur, Southern Peninsula, Iceland

Bad weather impacts grain harvest
Grain harvests in North Iceland this autumn do not look encouraging, farmers say. A frost in late August damaged the corn and wet weather in the autumn has delayed harvests.

Puffins bounce back in spectacular style
The heaviest puffling (baby puffin) ever recorded in Iceland was weighed by scientists in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago recently, and the director of the South Iceland Natural History Institute believes the puffin stock overall may never have been bigger than now. The news comes after many failed breeding seasons since 2000 and worries for the species’ future.
Vestmannaeyjar, South, Iceland

Fears oil ship will fall apart
Despite extensive and expensive work last summer to prevent further oil leaks from the Second World War shipwreck El Grillo, in Seyðisfjörður, oil is still leaking into the sea. It is thought the wreck still contains some 10-15 tonnes of oil.
Seyðisfjörður, East, Iceland

A month’s rain in one day
It rained solidly in Reykjavík from 15.00 on Friday and most of Saturday, and it was heavy rain by any standard, according to meteorologist Einar Sveinbjörnsson. Around 80 mm of rain had fallen by the end of the soaking—which is slightly higher than the average for the entire month of November.
Reykjavík, Reykjavík, Iceland

Bleeding tar makes road travel hazardous
Vegagerðin (the Road and Coastal Administration) is encouraging people to postpone journeys on Route 1 in the west and northwest of the country due to significant amounts of tar bleeding from the road surface and causing considerable danger and damage to vehicles. Clumps of tar collect and harden on the tyres of passing vehicles, making driving treacherous. Chunks fly off and have been causing some serious damage.

Mystery oil coating Westman Islands seabirds
Several dozen oil-covered seabirds have been discovered on the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago in recent days and weeks. The environment agency website states that most of the birds were found around the harbour on Heimaey and on Klauf beach. Oiled birds were first noticed as long ago as the start of this year.
Vestmannaeyjar, South, Iceland

50 percent more baby puffins this year
The puffling season is at its height and locals and visitors are busy helping lost baby puffins out to sea.
Vestmannaeyjar, South, Iceland

43,000 litres of milk went to waste in the storm
The severe storm that hit Iceland last week had a major impact on farmers—largely because of power cuts and closed roads. Dairy farmers could not milk their cows during power cuts, and they could not refrigerate the milk that had been collected before the power went off. MS Iceland Dairies received 43,000 fewer litres of milk from farms last week than the week before.

500 earthquakes recorded in northeast
An earthquake swarm that started on Saturday night just off the coast in the Öxarfjörður area of northeast Iceland is still going strong. Some 500 quakes have now been registered, including 60 over magnitude 2.0. The epicentre of most of them is around 30 kilometres west-north-west of Kópasker.
Öxarfjörður Area

Another major whale stranding event
For the second time in less than a month, a large pod of pilot whales has been discovered stranded on an Icelandic beach.Two-thirds of them were saved and driven back out to sea.
Garður, Southern Peninsula, Iceland

Avalanche prompts road monitoring re-think
“I wouldn’t have been on the road if there had been an avalanche warning in effect,” says a woman who fell victim to an avalanche along Flateyrarvegur in the Westfjords on Friday. The avalanche-prone road is not currently monitored, but Vegagerðin is now looking at improvements.
Flateyri, Westfjords, Iceland

Feed the birds, people urged
The latest group to feel the ongoing effect of Iceland’s poor summer weather this year is the country’s bird population. With few berries and seeds on trees and bushes in the southern half of the country, experts worry for the birds’ survival this winter.
Reykjavík, Reykjavík, Iceland

Tornado strikes Icelandic farm
A large 4x4 with trailer was found overturned in a ditch, fencing had been flattened, and roof panels from seven buildings were found 100 metres away from their roofs when the family returned to Norðurhjáleiga farm.
Kirkjubaejarklaustur, South, Iceland

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