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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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Hot weather continues to cause problems for railways
Buckled train tracks, fires and thunderstorms are causing major problems for the country's railways, Thursday.
Gotlands län, Sweden
Radio Sweden

Spring rains helped but parts of the Panhandle remain in drought
Southeast Alaska has dropped into drought conditions off and on for the past two or more years. Spring rains and snow melt helped refill lakes and reservoirs but a dry, hot July pushed the southern Panhandle into a deeper deficit.
Ketchikan, Alaska, United States
KTUU

Heatwave Threatens Nordic Crops as Lapland Gets New Heat Record
As the chart below shows, there’s no let up until early August when the temperatures could start to fall back toward more normal summer levels. Even in Finnish Lapland, the home of Santa, a new heat record of 33.4 degrees Celsius (92 Fahrenheit) was reached on Wednesday.
Rovaniemi, Lappi, Finland
Bloomberg

Heavy showers relieve heat-stricken masses across Punjab
LAHORE - Masses suffering from scorching heat for the last few days were relieved when the rain hit different areas of Punjab including Lahore, Saturday morning. After the Ramazan-observing faithf
Gojra, Punjab, Pakistan
Daily Pakistan Global

Sweltering heatwave sweeps across Punjab
A severe heat wave is sweeping across parts of Punjab, with temperatures reaching up to 44 degrees Celsius on Monday. In different cities, including Gujranwala, Sialkot, Malakwal and Sambrial, reported that the scorching heat reduced traffic on roads, leaving markets deserted with people preferring to shop in the evening. People traveling on motorcycles and public transport are also facing a tough time.
Gujranwala, Punjab, Pakistan
The Express Tribune

Sudden stratospheric warming linked to open water in polar ice pack
In the depths of the long night that cloaks the Arctic in frigid darkness for three months each winter, a surprising patch of open water appeared, just to the north of Greenland.
Wandel Sea
Phys.org

There Are So Many Open Holes, Search And Rescue Ran Out Of Blue Tape To Mark Them
The warm winter has made traveling on the river ice more hazardous than Bethel Search and Rescue ever remembers.
Oscarville, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Father's Body Recovered, Five Rescued After Family Falls Through Kuskokwim On New Year's Eve
A father’s body has been recovered from the Kuskokwim River after he and his family fell through a marked, open hole the night of New Year’s Eve. Bethel
Bethel, Alaska, United States

High temperatures in Utqiaġvik confuse NOAA algorithm
This November in Utqiaġvik was the hottest on record, averaging 17.2°F. It was so warm that NOAA's quality control algorithms flagged the data. “When we look out on the ocean right now we see a few icebergs,” Thomas said. “Normally we would see white to the horizon in the past, and in this case we’re seeing dark water to the horizon.”
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Ravenna Koenig, Alaska's Energy Desk - Fairbanks

High winds, record-breaking warmth
Anchorage sidewalks were slick with ice and the roads were full of puddles because of unseasonably high temperatures.By mid morning the temperature had reached 46 degrees.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Record Breaking Hot Water Usage in November
There has never been more use of hot water in the capital area in November than this year. The temperature that month was measured as quite cold according to the Icelandic Met Office, explaining the need for more hot water.
Hveragerdi, South, Iceland
Iceland Review

'What's with the weather?': Wacky weather in Nunavut breaks records
Nunavut experienced some 'strange' weather in the past few days, causing shipping containers to fly through one community and muddy puddles in another.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
CBC

Rise in reindeer deaths in the Arctic linked with loss of sea ice and extreme weather
Two extreme weather events in 2006 and 2013 caused mass starvation among the reindeer herds, and researchers for the first time have linked these extreme weather events in the coastal mainland in northwest Russia with sea ice loss in the adjoining Barents and Kara seas.
Ямало-Ненецкий АО, Russia
Phys.org

Huge cull of 250,000 reindeer by Christmas in Yamalo-Nenets after anthrax outbreak
Freak warm weather followed by a freeze in winter 2013-14 caused an ice-over of pastures which led to the deaths of some 70,000 reindeer in a famine. This summer, there was an outbreak of deadly anthrax after the hottest Arctic summer on record.
Noyabrsk, Yamalo-Nenetskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia
Siberia Times

Fraser River sockeye salmon at lowest numbers since records began in 1893
“The exact reasons why the return fell at the lower end of the forecast range are unknown at this time, but poorer than average marine survival is a leading candidate.”
Fraser River, British Columbia, Canada
Georgia Straight Vancouver's News & Entertainment Weekly

Siberian Heatwave Sparks Anthrax Outbreak, Killing A Child And Thousands Of Reindeer
Russian officials have said the death of a 12-year-old boy, a member of a reindeer-herding family from the Yamal tundra 1,300 miles north of Moscow, was the first fatality in Siberia linked to the pathogen since 1941. Twenty others have been diagnosed with anthrax.
HuffPost

2 Your Health: What to do if you get Swimmer's Itch
When temperatures are warm enough, it's a time many Alaskans take their families out swimming. Sometimes the fun comes along with an annoying rash known as 'Swimmer's Itch.'
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
KTUU

A large wet snow avalanche cycle in West Greenland quantified using remote sensing and in situ observations
On 11 April 2016 we observed high slushflow and wet snow avalanche activity at the environmental monitoring station Kobbefjord in West Greenland.
Nuuk, Sermersooq, Greenland
Natural Hazards
Jakob Abermann, Markus Eckerstorfer, Eirik Malnes, Birger Ulf Hansen

Lack of snow shortens Iditarod start
Persistent warm temperatures the last few weeks have melted much of the snow, including stockpiles the city tried to set aside.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Death Toll From Heat Wave in Karachi, Pakistan, Hits 1,000
Searing temperatures, which have been as high as 113 degrees, were below 100 on Thursday, but a sense of panic and crisis persisted in the city.
Karachi, Sind, Pakistan
New York Times

Ocean 'blob' brings bad fish food to B.C. waters
The so-called 'warm blob' of water in the North Pacific has brought unusual plankton, which lack the nutrients wild salmon and other marine animals count on.
Northeast Pacific Ocean
CBC News

The Blob: Why warmer oceans are a big concern
Warm water threatens marine habitats off the coast of BC
Northeast Pacific Ocean
Sooke News Mirror

The warm ‘blob’ in Canada’s Pacific Ocean
Last year, 2014, was the hottest year ever recorded on Earth. Unlike other worldwide problems from which Canadians might feel relatively safe and isolated, but Canada is actually ground zero of global climate.
Gulf of Alaska / Northeast Pacific
Times Colonist

Wet Snowgo Race
Warm weather has made for unsafe traveling conditions, including a snowmachine race.
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States

Never below 0 in 2014
Anchorage Alaska.

Anchorage Sets New Temperature Record
The city of Anchorage can claim a new record. The city did not see a temperature drop below zero for the entire year of 2014. The last time Anchorage residents saw a below zero reading was December 26, 2013.
Alaska Public Media

Unseasonably Warm
11-15-14 Unseasonably warm - Kwinhagak, Alaska, USA
Kwinhagak, Alaska, United States

Unseasonably Warm
11-13-14 Unseasonable warm - Unalakleet, Alaska, USA
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States

Summer heat, invasive insects take toll on Interior Alaska birch trees
Interior Alaska’s hot and dry summer of 2013, coupled with an invasion of insect pests, has taken a steep toll on the region’s birch trees, experts say.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Warm spring results in high gas prices
Anchorage Daily News

Mt. Alyeska closes due to unseasonable weather
Alyeska Ski Resort in Girdwood will not open for skiers and snowboarders Tuesday because of unseasonably warm temperatures and severe weather, according to a post on the resort's Facebook page.
Girdwood, Alaska, United States

High winds, rain, flooding in Anchorage
A band of wet, warm weather barreled into Southcentral Alaska on Friday and stirred up an odd blend of high winds, slushy roads and even rainbow sightings.

Starvation killed 80,000 reindeer after unusual Arctic rains cut off the animals’ food supply
Sixty-one thousand reindeer starved to death in the northwestern reaches of the Russian tundra in November 2013 in the largest recorded mortality event of its kind.
Ямало-Ненецкий АО, Russia
Washington Post

Warm and Wet Halloween
Anchorage is having the warmest October on record with an average temperature of 43 degrees. That will beat the record set in 1936 and residents are remarking on the novelty of having green grass and rain on Halloween.

Warm weather delays subsistence
10-24-13 Warm weather delays subsistence - Shaktoolik, Alaska, USA
Shaktoolik, Alaska, USA

Extreme heat wave shrinks Sweden's tallest peak by 13 feet in a month
Kebnekaise mountain in Sweden will no longer be the tallest in the country as the glacier on its highest peak melts rapidly in an unprecedented heat wave.
Kebnekaise Mountain Peak, Sweden
NBC News

Alaska heat wave: Anchorage sets record for most consecutive 70-degree days
On Monday, Anchorage reached the 70-degree threshold for a record 14th straight day, breaking 2004's record of 13.
Washington Post

Heatwave has toddlers falling from windows
The Anchorage Police Department is warning parents to be cautious after three separate incidents in a week involving toddler-aged children falling out of windows opened in the warm weather.

Drivers battle wet, icy roads and floods
Much of the state became one heck of an ice rink over the weekend, with temperatures spiking into the 40s in much of Southcentral Alaska and thawing reported as far north as Fairbanks.
Alaska Dispatch

Scientists race to preserve crucial climate records in glacier ice before they melt away
Scientists are racing to collect ice cores — along with long-frozen records they hold of climate cycles — as global warming melts glaciers and ice sheets. Some say they are running out of time. And, in some cases, it's already too late.
Bourg-Saint-Pierre, Valais, Switzerland
CBC

Hottest summer in a hundred years for parts of Finland
June and July have been unusually warm in Finland.
Finland
Yle Uutiset

Hot poles: Antarctica, Arctic 40 and 30 degrees Celsius above normal
Earth's poles are undergoing simultaneous freakish extreme heat with parts of Antarctica more than 70 degrees (40 degrees Celsius) warmer than average and areas of the Arctic more than 50 degrees (30 degrees Celsius) warmer than average.
Phys.org

High winds cause Alaska Airlines jet to slide on icy Dillingham runway
On Sunday, a gust of wind unexpectedly hit an Alaska Airlines jet on the Dillingham runway as it was preparing to taxi from the terminal, causing it to slide on the icy tarmac.
Dillingham, Alaska, United States
Bristol Bay Times

Climate change forces removal of historic mountain hut
A historic site in Yoho National Park will be dismantled and removed this spring because of effects caused by climate change, Parks Canada announced Thursday.
Abbot Pass Refuge Cabin National Historic Site
CBC

Gulf Coast waters are hotter than ever
A relentless heat dome that has parked over the Gulf Coast region for much of summer reached a climax late last week and this weekend, bringing some of the highest temperatures ever recorded from coastal Texas to southern Alabama. The water has also heated up far beneath the surface. In fact, temperatures of nearly 88 degrees are common to depths of 165 feet below the surface, according to data posted to Twitter by Kim Wood, a professor of meteorology at Mississippi State University. University of Miami hurricane scientist Andy Hazelton called the ocean heat “other-worldly.”
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Scotland had fourth hottest summer on record
The Met Office said it was unusual for the UK's highest August temperature to be recorded in Scotland.
Scotland, United Kingdom
BBC News

‘Receding before our eyes:’ Vancouver Island glaciers likely to be all gone by mid-century
Retired logger Fred Fern has been taking photos of the Comox Glacier every year since 2013, and the receding ice mass is easy to see in the images. Using Google Earth, Fern has calculated the Comox Glacier lost 15 vertical feet after this summer’s heat — and as much as 120 vertical feet since his first photo in 2013.
vancouversun

High winds knock out power, bring subzero wind chills to Bristol Bay
The Bristol Bay Times - Serving Dillingham, Naknek, King Salmon and Southwest villages
Koliganek, Alaska, United States
The Bristol Bay Times

Heat wave over Gujarat, temp peaks at 43.8
"Besides Surendranagar — that recorded a temperature of over 43 degree celsius on Monday — Rajkot recorded 43.3 degree celsius, followed by Kandla Airport (43.2), Amreli (43), Deesa (42.8), Kandla Port (42.7), Ahmedabad (42.5), Porbandar (42.4), Bhuj (42.4), Vadodara (42.2), Gandhinagar (41.6), Surat (41.8), Bhavnagar (41.1) and Veraval (40.9)."
Gujarat, India

Dispersed across B.C., the Lytton First Nation aims to come back strong
Like many people in Lytton, council member John Haugen's not sure when he'll be able to settle back home. One thing he is certain about is that his people, those of the Lytton First Nation who have lived in the area for about 10,000 years, will continue living on their ancestral lands.
Lytton, British Columbia, Canada

Inuvik experienced one of its warmest, driest summers on record
It wasn’t part of your imagination if you thought it was warmer this summer in the Northwest Territories. Inuvik experienced its seventh warmest summer on record according to data from Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada

Climate change: Sudden heat increase in seas around UK and Ireland
Scientists say water temperatures are as much as 3 to 4C above the average for this time of year in some areas.
Durham, England, United Kingdom
BBC News

Fire bans in force across large parts of Sweden
Sweden has implemented fire bans across most of the country due to high, very high, or extremely high risk of wildfires caused by hot weather and dry conditions.
Sweden
Sveriges Radio

Finland sees hottest June on record
The average temperature throughout the country in June was 16.5 degrees, beating the previous high of 16.2 degrees set in 1953.
Parikkala, South Karelia, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Water warning as reservoir levels hit 18-year low
Scottish Water says storage levels at some sites are at 66% amid one of the driest summers in 160 years.
Scotland, United Kingdom
BBC News

Hot and dry July saw temperature records topple in the Yukon
"We saw temperatures in the Yukon that were two to three-and-a-half degrees warmer than normal" in July, said David Phillips of Environment Canada. "The one that everybody was shaking their head about in Canada was at Carmacks. The incredible temperature on July the 7th got up to 35.5 degrees," Phillips said.The heat has also increased water temperatures in many parts of the territory. According to Phillips, some lakes are four to five degrees warmer than normal.
Carmacks, Yukon, Canada

Crews across the Greater Memphis area work to repair water main breaks
The Town of Collierville said crews are working on a water main break on Greencliff Road, affecting about 30 to 40 customers in the area. As of 10 a.m., they did not have a time frame for when the break would be repaired. MLGW said as of Friday afternoon, it had repaired 49 water main breaks since Saturday, and were currently working on 10 more. They ask that commercial customers and property owners check buildings or vacant properties for leaks.
Collierville, Tennessee, United States
localmemphis.com

‘A lot of salmon died’: Ahousaht Guardians look to watershed restoration amid B.C.’s dangerously dry summer
B.C. drought exacerbating forestry damage to Bedwell River near Tofino as Ahousaht First Nation works to protect salmon, restore watershed.
Tofino, British Columbia, Canada
The Narwhal

As some in wind-blasted Mat-Su finally get power, others continue to contend with bursting pipes and frigid cold
Mat-Su schools will be closed again Wednesday, and 5,000 homes remained without electricity Tuesday night after a violent windstorm hammered the Valley.
Palmer, Alaska, United States

Warm weather affects everything from food to medevacs in Sachs Harbour, N.W.T.
Every year, Aklak Air switches to flying a Twin Otter to Sachs Harbour in the spring and fall because the gravel runway is too soft for other aircraft. The switch usually lasts for a few days, up to a week, but this fall's warm weather made it necessary for longer and its effects were felt beyond the runway.
Sachs Harbour, Northwest Territories, Canada

Relentless heat wave and lack of rain scorching Saskatchewan crops
Crops across much of Saskatchewan are scorched, stunted and thin as they wither under the unrelenting heat wave blanketing Saskatchewan, according to the province's latest crop report.
Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada

Winds knock out internet for days
High winds at the Muklung tower blew the antenna pointing at Levelock out of alignment. It was too windy for the technicians to fly back to finish repairs at the Muklung site on Thursday. On Friday, the cooperative said they were able to reach the site, but the winds were still too strong for them to climb the tower to fix the antenna.
Levelock, Alaska, United States
Bristol Bay Times

Miami is shattering heat records during a wildly-warm start to 2020, even by Florida standards
"Miami’s temperature climbed to 95 on Friday, at a time of year when average highs are 83."
Miami, Florida, United States
Washington Post

Fish kill in Windsor area
Local fisherman Darren Porter saw this coming. "It's just common sense. I mean, you can’t take your fishbowl and put it on your stove.”
Lake Pusiquid, Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
SaltWire

Yukon Southern Lakes residents in 'emergency mode' as water levels rise
Residents in Yukon's Southern Lakes region are bracing for the worst as water levels continue to creep dangerously high.
Marsh Lake, Yukon, Canada

Record heatwave retreating next week
Finland’s sizzling temperatures will drop down to around 20 degrees Celsius next week.
Kouvola, Kymenlaakso, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Short on diesel fuel, North Slope sewage pipes break
The sewage pipes are protected from low temperatures with a heating system that runs on diesel. Throughout December and into January, several communities in the North Slope and Northwest Arctic have been scrambling for diesel, as well as gas and heating oil, essential to thaw pipes, heat homes and run snowmachines.
Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska, United States
Arctic Sounder

Winter storm lashes East Coast with deep snow, high winds
Parts of 10 states and some major population centers — including Philadelphia, New York and Boston — were pummeled by the storm.
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Associate Press

Kotzebue weather swings wildly between cold snap, snow
With cold air, light winds, and clear skies, Kotzebue weather dropped to 44 degrees below zero on Jan. 19 - the lowest temperature in nearly 10 years. The low temperature was followed by a late evening high of 6 above zero. The only greater calendar day increase in the city happened on Feb 18, 2009.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
Arctic Sounder

Rhine River – Europe’s Second-Largest River – Runs Dry
Water levels at the chokepoint of Kaub, near Frankfurt, fell to 32 cm (13 inches) in depth on Monday, down from 42 cm (17 inches) last week. Ships, however, need around 1.5 m (5 feet) to be able to sail fully loaded.
Cologne, Languedoc-Roussillon-Midi-Pyrénées, France

May heat wave highlights further need for climate change adaptation in Oregon
Portland could see record breaking temperatures over the weekend, with weather conditions similar to the deadly heat dome event in 2021, which prompted swift action from city and local organizations to help residents. But some say more needs to be done.
Portland, Oregon, United States
opb

Warm weather in Alaska highlights risk climate change poses to future Arctic Winter Games
After a warm Arctic Winter Games in Alaska, some officials and coaches have suggested moving the games up from March to February in an effort to ensure that temperatures are cold enough for winter sports.
Palmer, Alaska, United States

Tropical fish follow warmer waters south, devouring kelp forests
They are brightly coloured, beautiful and hungry — tropical fish and sea urchins are thriving in southern waters warmed by climate change. But now they are devastating kelp forests already knocked around by marine heatwaves.
southern Australia
ABC News

Reports from the land: N.W.T. hunters and trappers describe unusually warm fall
From the thickness of the ice to moose migration and pelt quality, hunters and trappers say the late arrival of cold weather in the N.W.T. is "going to have effects, down the line."
Aklavik, Northwest Territories, Canada

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