Longyearbyen

A polar bear observed in Bjørndalen on Tuesday evening was tracked across the fjord by police after the Governor’s helicopter steered it away from Longyearbyen. The incident caused other boats in Isfjorden to stop while officials pressed the bear away from town.

Police were alerted Tuesday evening to a polar bear seen in Bjørndalen near Longyearbyen, Svalbard. The bear moved into the fjord, and the Sysselmester used a helicopter to guide it safely away from town.

For the first time in Norway and Europe, avian influenza has been detected in a polar bear on Svalbard, raising concerns about the virus's impact on the species, especially if older bears are affected.

Svalbardposten reports that an avalanche near Konowfjellet on 1 May was remotely triggered by a person in a ski group, and that seven people were reportedly caught. The incident was not reported to the Governor of Svalbard (Sysselmesteren).

A sedated polar bear mother was unable to protect her cub from a male bear attack in Svalbard, raising concerns about the timing of scientific interventions during vulnerable periods for the bears.

Meteorologists in Longyearbyen, Svalbard report that ground temperature at 20 cm depth reached 0°C already in April, exceeding all measurements since 1998. Snow is disappearing rapidly from Adventdalen.

An article from Svalbardposten reports that Arctic sea-ice extent was record-low in March, while sea ice around Svalbard was the third-lowest since 1980. It also notes significantly less precipitation than normal around Svalbard during the period.

A large snow avalanche about 150 meters wide occurred Monday afternoon between Huset and the Gruvelageret restaurant in Sverdrupbyen (Longyearbyen area), Svalbard. Roads and a ski trail were closed while authorities assessed the situation; snowmobile tracks were seen going into and out of the slide area, and no one is believed to be caught.

On January 8, 2026, Svalbard was the only part of Norway with temperatures above 0°C while mainland Norway saw severe cold. Meteorologists attributed the warmth to a low-pressure system bringing mild westerly winds and a high-pressure block keeping cold air farther south.

Svalbardposten reports that January temperatures on Svalbard were above normal even though mainland Norway was colder than usual. Researchers warn that there may be no sea ice around Svalbard this year.

The Governor of Svalbard helped free a reindeer that had become stuck, reportedly in trash, in Longyearbyen. Authorities suggest such incidents may recur due to litter.

Norway’s Meteorological Institute reports a mild November in the Arctic, with little sea ice around Svalbard. Observations at Svalbard Airport indicate unusually mild conditions.

A temperature of 10.2°C was recorded Tuesday morning at Svalbard Airport, the warmest October reading since measurements began. Mild weather is reported around Longyearbyen.

Longyearbyen authorities advise residents not to drink tap water after manganese levels spiked to about 1,000 µg/L. Free drinking water is being distributed via Svalbardbutikken and filtered bulk containers from Svalbard Bryggeri.

Researchers will investigate to what degree ship traffic around Svalbard disturbs fish by using hydrophones in a study involving SINTEF and UNIS.

In early July, a group found a sick polar fox in Sundbukta near Longyearbyen, and the Governor’s office was notified.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza was confirmed in four Arctic fox pups near Barentsburg, Svalbard—the first detection of bird flu in Arctic foxes in Norway. Sick cubs and adult foxes were euthanized to prevent further spread.

The article reports extremely low sea ice measurements in the Arctic for January, with notable figures from both the Arctic and Southern Hemisphere.

“Last year we got several reports from tourists and scientists that they saw around six walruses dead here on the west side of Svalbard. Unfortunately, we couldn’t sample them as the dead walruses drifted away by the time we got to the place. But it’s not normal to get so many reported dead walruses in such a small area," said Christian Lydersen, senior scientist at the Norwegian Polar Institute. Now samples (collected by a Station Manager in July 2023) have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza.

There have been similar, even larger outbreaks of avian flue in seabird colonies in north Norway. In some cases, the losses were dramatic and major fractions of the colonies were wiped out. In Spitsbergen, avian flu was found for the first time in 2002, but the recent outbreak on Hopen is the largest one so far.