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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

Twenty Rescued from Ski Lift in High Winds
Twenty people were rescued from a chairlift at the Hlíðarfjall ski area outside Akureyri. The lift stalled when the wire was blown off its spool by a strong blast of wind.
Akureyri, Northeast, Iceland
Iceland Review

Rare Bird Flu Detected in Eagle and Eider Duck
Samples taken from a white-tailed eagle found dead on a skerry near Barðaströnd in the Westfjords in mid-September tested positive for a severe bird flu virus of the strain HPAI H4N5. An eider duck that was found dead in Ólafsfjörður, West Iceland recently was infected with the same strain of bird flu virus. The strain has not been detected in Iceland before and is not common.
Barðaströnd
Iceland Review

Bacterial Infection Brucella Canis Suspected in Dogs in Iceland
The Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST) has reason to suspect that a bacterial disease called Brucella canis has been found in dogs in Iceland. RÚV reports that Bruncella canis can—in very rare instances—be transmitted from dogs to humans, with young children, pregnant, and immunocompromised people at the greatest risk of serious infection.
Iceland
Iceland Review

Farmed Salmon Caught in Rivers Across Northwest Iceland
Escapted farmed salmon threatens wild salmon stocks across Northwest Iceland, where it has entered rivers.
Patreksfjörður, Westfjords, Iceland

Sea Ice Unusually Close to North Iceland Coast
While north of Iceland sea ice is stretching unusually close to the coast, south of the island sea temperatures are reaching record heights.
North Coast Iceland

Widespread Bird Deaths in West and South Iceland
Such deaths are unusual at this time of year in Iceland and their cause is unknown. The widespread deaths of Kittiwakes cannot be attributed to bird flu, according to Brigitte Brugger of the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST). Samples from the birds analysed by MAST ruled out the illness. While bird flu is unlikely to be the cause, extreme weather may be a possible explanation.
Faxaflói Bay, Iceland

Sun While It Lasted: May Among “Gloomiest” Months on Record
May 2023 in Reykjavik, Iceland has been a month of gloom and rain, with a chance of breaking a 70-year-old "sunless" record and becoming the "least sunniest" fifth month of the year since measurements began, as well as potentially breaking the record for the rainiest May on record.
Reykjavík, Capital Region, Iceland

Breaking: Eruption Begins on Reykjanes Peninsula
A new fissure eruption on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula, the third since December, began without posing immediate danger to populated areas or infrastructure.
Grindavík, Southern Peninsula Region, Iceland

Concern Over Plummeting Ptarmigan Population
This breeding season for ptarmigans has been the fourth worst on record in northern Iceland, due in part to a June snowstorm.
Northern Iceland

Thousands of Cigarette Stubs Wash Up on East Iceland Beach
A resident of Eskifjörður, East Iceland was shocked to see thousands of cigarette stubs washed up on the shore of the fjord yesterday.
Eskifjörður, East, Iceland

Dolphin Species Never Before Seen in Iceland Beaches in Northwest
Two Risso’s dolphins washed ashore in Hrútafjörður in Northwest Iceland last week. Risso dolphins are a warm-water species found a bit to the east of Ireland and Northwest Scotland. But the largest number is found further south, in warmer seas.
Hrútafjörður, Iceland

Sea Lice Outbreak Claims At Least 1 Million Salmon in Tálknafjörður
An unprecedented outbreak of sea lice in Tálknafjörður has led to the loss, or the need to dispose of, at least one million salmon. “Nobody has seen anything like this before. There is a Norwegian veterinarian who has been working in Iceland because of this and he has never seen anything like this in his 30-year career,” Karl Steinar observed.
Talknafjordur, Westfjords, Iceland

Humpack Salmon Spread in Iceland, Threatening Local Fish
Anglers caught dozens of humpback salmon in Eyjafjarðará river yesterday, RÚV reports. Humpack salmon are spreading in Iceland and threatening local fish species in Icelandic rivers.
Hjalteyri, Northeast, Iceland

Landslide Disrupts Traffic in North East
Authorities state that although landslides are not common in this area, avalanches are. An approximately 50 to 70m stretch of road is affected, covered in about one metre of mud and debris.
Grenivík, Northeast, Iceland

Eruption Begun On Reykjanes Peninsula
A volcanic eruption began near Hagafell mountain on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland at 10:17 pm, following an M4.2 earthquake, with local authorities seeking to determine its impact.
Reykjanesbær, Southern Peninsula, Iceland

Extreme Weather Across Iceland Causes Power Outages and Damage
A winter storm caused power outages and property damage across Iceland. Winds reached speeds of 40 meters per second (89 mph) in the Southwest region, though precipitation was less than forecasted. See related article: A total of ten waves of 25 meters high and four waves over 30 meters high were recorded. A 40 m wave was the highest recorded since 1990.
Reykjavík, Capital Region, Iceland

Surprise “Spring Snow” in Reykjavík
Capital area residents in Iceland opened their eyes to 10 cm (3.9 in) of snow outside the window on April 27th. In the last 75 years, there have only been 4 instances of this much snow falling in the Reykjavík area in the second half of April.
Reykjavík, Capital Region, Iceland

Minister Alarmed by Plastic Pollution on Eldey Island
The expedition revealed that gannets have easy access to plastic, as their nests are mostly made from plastic debris. Hundreds of dead gannets were also observed by the experts, with it being estimated that three factors played a role in their deaths: natural attrition, bird flu, and plastic pollution.
Eldey Island

Drinking Water Contaminated in Borgarfjörður Eystri
Residents of Borgarfjörður Eystri have had to boil their drinking water for two weeks due to coliform bacteria in their water sources. “This has probably come about because of soil subsidence [sinking ground] in the wet land in that area,” stated Glúmur Björnsson, a geologist at utilities contractor HEF Veitur.
Bakkagerði, East, Iceland

Search Called Off, No Tourists Under Ice
The search for tourists believed trapped in a collapsed Icelandic ice cave has ended, revealing all were accounted for; experts criticize year-round tours as unsafe.
Höfn, Southern Region, Iceland

Unusually Dry Summer in West and Southeast Iceland
In West and Southwest Iceland, rainfall has been less than 10% of the average for July and early August. Rivers and streams have been shrinking and even drying up entirely following several weeks with little to no rainfall in Iceland.
Stykkishólmur, West, Iceland

Walrus Follows Man to Work in Iceland
A man biking to work in Iceland this morning was unexpectedly accompanied by a walrus on his commute. Walruses are not native to Iceland.

‘Blue Blob’ Is Slowing Icelandic Glacier Melt — For Now
Icelandic glaciers have been losing mass since the Little Ice Age, but that process has slowed over the last decade thanks to the influence of what scientists have dubbed the Blue Blob, “an area of regional cooling in the North Atlantic Ocean to the south of Greenland.

Scrapie Diagnosed in Northwest Iceland
The degenerative and fatal disease scrapie has been diagnosed in sheep at Bergsstaðir farm in Northwest Iceland. It is the first time the disease has been detected in the region, which will have an impact not just on Bergsstaðir but the entire district.
Iceland

Swans Freeze to Ice During Cold Snap
Residents in Hafnarfjörður, a small town just outside the capital area, have rescued multiple swans that have frozen to the icy surface of Hamarkotslækur creek during a recent spate of desperately cold weather in the country, RÚV reports.
Hafnarfjörður, Capital Region, Iceland

Mouse Infestation “Unlike Anything” Exterminator Has Seen
In an interview with RÚV, a seasoned exterminator has stated that Iceland is currently experiencing a mouse infestation the likes of which he’s never seen. He encourages people to take the necessary precautions. A 43-year career in extermination Despite their small stature, mice can be an outsized pest for homeowners.

All roads out of Reykjavík closed
All roads out of Iceland’s capital Reykjavík are closed due to extreme weather conditions, including Route 41, the road to Keflavík International Airport. A yellow weather alert is in effect across the country, with strong winds and snow showers expected to continue until tomorrow afternoon in most regions. Travel is discouraged across the country.

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