A cold early summer followed by extreme July heat has decimated cloudberry crops in northern Sweden, creating a shortage and driving expected retail prices up to SEK 300 per kilo.

A new report by the World Meteorological Organization declares 2024 as the warmest year in 175 years, driven by human-caused CO2 emissions. The unprecedented warmth is raising sea levels faster and endangering millions along coastlines, especially in Arctic regions like Svalbard.

During a February 2025 expedition to Spitsbergen, researchers recorded unusually high winter temperatures, snow melt, and emergent vegetation in the Arctic.

Longyearbyen airport had an average temperature of 6.1°C, which is 2.5°C above normal. Global air and sea surface temperatures were also at record levels.

After an exceptionally warm summer, ripe cloudberries are for the first time documented at 78° North.