LEO Network

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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

Trees Broken, Uprooted, Toppled by Wind
the Beaufort Picnic Area appears to consist of stream-origin alluvial cobbles, pebbles, and perhaps sand, and so not well consolidated, thus perhaps making these trees relatively vulnerable to wind. The snapped-off trees, however, indicate the unusually high intensity of this particular windstorm.
Beaufort Picnic Area, Cameron Lake, British Columbia

Frantic bid to save Umka the lost and forlorn polar bear who travelled 700 km in the wrong direction on ice floe
Lame, exhausted and confused, the young male polar bear is far from his natural habitat to the north.
Tilichiki, Kamtsjatka, Russia
Siberia Times

No Chestnut Trees, No Honey — Beekeeping at Risk in Russia's South
A sharp decline in chestnut trees caused by a parasitic fungus in Russia's southern Krasnodar region is threatening the area's honey production, according to local beekeepers and scientists.
Krasnodar, Krasnodarskiy, Russia
The Moscow Times

Early Trumpeter (Cygnus buccinator) Swans on Cheney Lake
I rarely see trumpeter swans on the lake, and I don't ever remember seeing them so early.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Early Bees and Butterflies
The sun when direct was intense, definitely not April and not May...more like the month of June.
Chistochina, Alaska, United States

No Sardine Fishing Off California This Year Due to Steep Population Decline
Wildlife officials say populations of the silvery Pacific sardine have plummeted over the past decade.
California's Coastal Ocean
KQED

Unique in palaeontology: Liquid blood found inside a prehistoric 42,000 year old foal
Permafrost preserved the ‘oldest blood in the world’ boosting hopes of bringing extinct species back to life.
Ese-Khayya, Sakha, Russia
Siberia Times

Erosion in Cook Inlet Damaging Old Growth Trees
Both sides of Cook Inlet are eroding near Tyonek. The erosion is reaching old and new growth trees, and causing more debris to fall in to the Inlet, which easily get caught in set nets.
Tyonek, Alaska, United States

Nenana Ice Classic tripod falls; earliest date on record
In the earliest breakup since the contest began in 1917, the Nenana Ice Classic Tripod fell early this morning.
Nenana, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

950,000 litres of Iqaluit's raw sewage leaking into Frobisher Bay per day
Blockage at the city's main lift station has forced sewage to overflow into the bay, so it doesn't back into people's homes.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
CBC

Record-high bird count at Yukon's Swan Haven over weekend
One wildlife expert says seeing more than 2,000 trumpeter swans at the sanctuary is unusual, but on Saturday there were nearly 3,000 counted.
CBC

Rain storm and high winds bring down trees, wires in Massachusetts
Trees and wires came down early Monday morning as rain poured down and wind whipped across Massachusetts, the National Weather Service said.
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
BostonGlobe.com

2 adults, child die after crashing through ice
The Arctic Sounder - Serving the Northwest Arctic and the North Slope
Noatak, Alaska, United States
The Arctic Sounder

Pace of Bering Sea changes startle scientists
Frigid north winds blow down from the Arctic Ocean, freeze saltwater and push sea ice south. The ice normally prevents waves from forming and locks onto beaches, walling off villages. But not this year.
Kotlik, Alaska, United States
PBS NewsHour

Pike (Esox Lucius) Caught with Pug Head Deformity to Mouth/Jaw
Northern Pike (*Esox Lucius*) caught with "pug head" jaw deformity, usually associated with cold water temperatures during incubation.
Kotlik, Alaska, United States
Harold Okitkun, Jayde Ferguson, Elizabeth Lindley

Early Robin (Turdus migratorius) Sighting in Fairbanks
This morning I heard and saw a robin in Fairbanks right near the fairgrounds. I have lived in Fairbanks for more than 30 years and have never seen a robin this early!
College, Alaska, United States

Death toll from devastating Cyclone Idai rises above 1,000
The death toll from a storm that crashed into southeast Africa last month has risen above 1,000, with more than 4,000 cases of cholera reported among survivors in Mozambique, the hardest-hit country.
Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi
AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

Shiveluch volcano (Kamchatka) Eruption
Shiveluch volcano (Kamchatka) in Kamchata is erupting. Explosive activity continues. Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Tokyo warned about a volcanic ash plume that rose up to estimated 33000 ft (10100 m) altitude or flight level 330 and is moving at 55 kts in S direction.
Volcano Discovery

Spruce bark beetle damage shuts down 2 popular Alaska campgrounds
The closures of the campgrounds, facing the threat of falling trees, likely will last through summer, the state parks division said.
Fishhook, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

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
RÚV

Thin ice and deep slush making for unsafe conditions in Iqaluit, warn hunters
Popular hunting spots, such as Frobisher's Farthest, Pink Lady Island and Ward Inlet should be avoided, says the chair of the Amaruq Hunters and Trappers Association.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
CBC

Signs of spring: Record high (so far), grass fires, flood warning
The warmest springtime temperature of the year so far is 14.1 degrees Celsius, and fires are popping up around the country.
Kirkkonummi, Uusimaa, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Dead grey whale towed to Institute of Ocean Sciences in Sidney for necropsy
A dead male grey whale that was found floating between Sidney Island and James Island on Thursday has been towed to Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Institute of Ocean Sciences in Sidney for a necropsy.
Sidney Channel, British Columbia, Canada
CHEK

Large earthquake strikes in remote part of northwest Alaska
The Arctic Sounder - Serving the Northwest Arctic and the North Slope
Shungnak, Alaska, United States
The Arctic Sounder
Alaska Media, LLC., Steve Keller designer and application developer

Southeast Alaska researchers get rare opportunity to study a sperm whale
The species has been spotted in the Inside Passage before. But sightings are infrequent. A whale found recently near Juneau is thought to have died from a vessel strike.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Where's the beef? Drought-parched Botswana struggles to keep cattle...
Longer and harsher droughts are driving a growing share of Botswana's traditional cattlemen to give up their animals
Borakalalo, North West, South Africa
Thomson Reuters

The dusty season has arrived early. Here are some things that might surprise you.
Why air quality is worse at different times of day and how you might be violating city code with your leaf blower.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Booming Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) Population
"It’s a bit because people are feeding them, and they’re getting into the dumpster now too. But I’ve never seen them like this before."
King Cove, Alaska, United States

Whale Fatality Likely Caused By Boat Propeller
A sperm whale (*Physeter macrocephalus*) found beached on the east side of Lynn Canal had trauma consistent with being hit by a boat propeller.
Southeast Alaska

Record Temps in Goldstream
Warm temperatures are rapidly melting snow and creating ice, which creates difficult conditions for dog mushers. Migratory birds are arriving early, and a mosquito emerged months early. Small owls dead around the Goldstream Valley that looked unusually thin.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Unusually heavy pollen season getting underway in Finland
Alder catkins (the pollen-rich flowers on alder trees) haven't reached their peak yet, but there are a lot of them. There can be four to five million pollen particles in a single catkin.
Turku, Southwest Finland, Finland
Yle Uutiset

First Puffins of the Year Arrive in Iceland
Svafar Gylfason spotted the year’s first puffin while fishing at sea near Grímsey island, North Iceland last weekend. He says the beloved bird’s appearance is a week earlier than it’s been in the past.
Grimsey, Northeast Iceland
Iceland Review

2 dead near Bethel when four-wheelers fall through river ice amid warnings to stay off
The tragedy came after several days of dire warnings about the dangers of river travel due to an unusually early warm-up. Search and rescuers crawled onto weak ice, open water all around, to help retrieve the survivors.
Bethel, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

'Stay off the ice' BSAR warns as two die from four-wheelers falling through ice
Two four-wheelers carrying five men leaving Bethel broke through needle ice on the upper end of Church Slough on Sunday night. Two of the men died, while three others were treated for hypothermia in Bethel.
Bethel, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Warmest March
Warm air temperatures have melted the snow, leaving the soil without the insulation that snowcover usually provides.
Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, United States

The Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) are Courting
Spring has come about a month early. Is the mating season for our state bird, the Willow Ptarmigan, early as well?
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Snow is going Fast at Glen Alps
The snow cover in Anchorage and the Chugach is disappearing very quickly. Go out and get it while you can!

Pussy Willows (genus Salix) Make Early Showing
Warmer than normal temperatures in Anchorage may be causing willows (genus *Salix*) to bud early.

Odd condition of Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens)
"Looked normal at first then we started to butcher it found some unusual stuff on the insides."
Kwigillingok, Alaska, United States

Tornado confirmed in El Paso County
Officials have confirmed a tornado touched down Friday afternoon in Eastern El Paso County. It was spotted on Curtis Road between Highway 24 and Highway 94.
Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States
KOAA.com

Marine Tar (Oil Residue) On Beaches
The western coast line of India is prone to oil pollution. Marine tar deposition is heaviest during early monsoons or monsoons months.
Arambol, Goa, India

Changing face of the Arctic: one significant island vanishes from the map but a dozen appear
Scientists confirm loss of ‘Pearl’ island, while schoolchildren using satellite maps identify one of the new icy Russian isles.
Graham Bell Island
Siberia Times

Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) and Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus) Converging on North Slope
There seems to be a large red fox population in the region around Nuiqsut, Alaska. When I last traveled there for work, I counted 5 red fox during a 1.5 hour-long car ride.
Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States
Elizabeth Lindley, Karsten Hueffer, Abby Nelson

Willows (genus Salix) Budding in March
Willows budding about a month early 30 miles above the Arctic Circle.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Intrusion of Beach Stones and Saltwater into the Coastal Forest
French Beach Provincial Park

Snowmachiner watches wild dogs take down musk ox in Western Alaska
Patrick Jones, wildlife biologist for the state Department of Fish and Game, said he has heard of dogs killing moose, caribou and a days-old musk ox calf, but nothing like this attack.
Toksook Bay, Alaska, United States

A nightmare trip, how drivers handled the mud on the Mackenzie Valley winter road
One of the main winter highways in the Northwest Territories turned into a swamp this week following unseasonably high temperatures.
Mackenzie Valley

Alyeska Resort closes mountain operations amid ‘severe weather’
Avalanche monitors say danger remains high in Turnagain Pass, Girdwood and Portage.
Girdwood, Alaska, United States

Plover, Bearer of Spring, Has Arrived
A golden plover, traditionally believed to announce the arrival of spring in Iceland, was spotted in Stokkseyri on March 28, a little later than usual. They spends the winter as far south as North Africa, returning north to breed.
Stokkseyri, South Iceland
Iceland Review

Second Day of Spring
Weather is relatively consistent around this time of year, but this season, storms have come in quickly.
King Cove, Alaska, United States

Road to NWT’s diamond mines closes in the heat
The winter resupply road between Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories' three working diamond mines has succumbed to this week's warm weather.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
Cabin Radio

Strong winds may have been a factor in avalanche that killed skier in Kenai Mountains, report says
Jeffrey Cheng, 33, died in the slide. One of his friends managed to hold on to a tree as waves of avalanche debris washed over his head. The third member of their group wasn’t caught.
Moose Pass, Alaska, United States

Drought nearly eradicated due to the bomb cyclone
Huge snow over the past few months has provided incredible relief to the drought situation that has plagued Colorado throughout the last year.
Colorado, United States
KOAA.com

Northern Canada: mild temperatures cause winter road closure in Northwest Territories
Deteriorating conditions on the Mackenzie Valley Winter Road have prompted the Northwest Territories government to close the winter highway for the season.
Mackenzie Valley Winter Road
Eye on the Arctic

For first time since records began, NWT hits 20C in March
The NWT broke a symbolic temperature barrier as a heatwave continued. There were warnings over ice roads and spoiled meat, and questions about climate change.
Northwest Territories, Canada
Cabin Radio

Still-closed winter road to Wekweeti has community frustrated, says chief
A late start means the community of just over 130 must rely more heavily on air transport, which adds to the cost of goods brought in town.
Wekweètì, Northwest Territories, Canada

A meteor blew up over the Bering Sea with the power of 10 atomic bombs. Almost no one noticed.
Scientists only recently pinpointed the December blast -- the third-largest known meteor explosion -- by triangulating readings from infrasound stations.

Mild spell forces temporary daytime closure of Yellowknife's Snowking castle
Despite daytime closures, evening events expected to happen on schedule this week.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Record High Temperature For Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

'Spring heat wave': record temperatures in Canada's central Arctic
In Yellowknife, the territorial capital, temperatures climbed above zero over the weekend, breaking a record high on Sunday with a temperature of 3 C.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
Eye on the Arctic

Two dead and one missing amid ‘historic’ flooding across the Midwest
Louisville, Nebraska, United States
Washington Post

Man rescued from ice drifting in Bering Sea describes hours jumping from floe to floe
“It started breaking into pieces beneath us,” said Phillip Rode.
Nome, Alaska, United States

Two dead gray whales in San Francisco Bay spur investigation
The Marine Mammal Center and California Academy of Sciences are reporting cause of death for one.
Tiburon, California, United States
Marin Independent Journal

Pueblo picks up pieces after heavy wind damage
The Pueblo area was spared from the bulk of the winter elements that impacted much of eastern Colorado Wednesday, but residents are still dealing with major damage from heavy winds.
Pueblo, Colorado, United States
KOAA.com

Flash Flood in Sao Paulo
São Paulo, Brazil

Avalanche destroys home in southwestern Colorado, injuring sheriff and his 2 daughters
A sheriff and his two daughters were injured near Lake City in southwestern Colorado after an avalanche destroyed their home Tuesday morning.
Gunnison, Colorado, United States
The Denver Post

A Warming Arctic Hits Iditarod: Open Water Along the Trail Where There’s Normally Ice
Usually, in March, the Bering Sea ice is reaching its thickest extent. But from the beach in Unalakleet, the full horizon is blue ocean water, punctuated infrequently by lone icebergs.
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

First Sighting of a Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) at My Feeder
Red-breasted Nuthatch (*Sitta canadensis*) are usually a common visitor to my bird feeder, however this is the first time one has been spotted at the feeder during the 2018-2019 winter.

Traffic jammed in ice as three URAL trucks blocked on winter road
Stuck in ice, two trucks of a local silver mining company got trapped more than a month ago. Drivers have to live nearby as they keep trying to remove their vehicles.
Promyshlennyy, Komi Republic, Russia

Shorefast Ice Breaks Off in Nome
Warm ocean temperatures are keeping ice thin, which become easily moved by the wind. This ice movement separates commercial and subsistence crabbers from their gear, and have led to the loss of both crabbing and mining gear.
Nome, Alaska, United States

It was 37 degrees and raining in Shageluk Friday. Iditarod mushers weren’t very happy.
Some mushers worried what the warm weather would mean for the trail ahead.
Shageluk, Alaska, United States

Avalanche danger extreme in Colorado
An agency in Colorado that tracks avalanches hiked its danger level to "extreme" for a swath of the state, the highest level on its scale.
Vail, Colorado, United States
CNN

Multiple cars buried in avalanche on Highway 91
Crews are working to free multiple cars that are trapped by an avalanche on Highway 91 near Copper Mountain, the Colorado State Patrol has confirmed.
Leadville, Colorado, United States
KMGH

103rd Ice Classic: warm weather, thin ice are hot topics in Nenana
NENANA — Early warm spring weather is adding a lot of excitement to the Nenana Ice Classic this year, resulting in a surge of last-minute ticket sales.
Nenana, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Fire Destroys Homes in Alexandra
Modderfontein, Gauteng, South Africa

No injuries in Alexandra fire started by fallen electricity pylon
Firefighters were battling a blaze in Alexandra, City of Johannesburg emergency services said on Tuesday.
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

Wales Loses Shorefast Ice
Wales lost shorefast ice early in the season. Ice along the shore has been crushed and broken. This is a very unusual event for Wales as many of our hunters rely on great ice conditions for whale and other sea mammal catch for food.
Wales, Alaska, United States

Winter storms flood houses in Nunapitchuk and Kotlik
Storms battered the southern Bering Sea and the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta last month. February storms aren’t unusual, but the amount of rain and flooding is. The combination caused a lot of damage for two communities in the region.
Kotlik, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Bering Sea ice is at an ‘unprecedented’ low right now
“You could take your sailboat and sail from Dillingham all the way to Little Diomede and never see much more than an ice cube.

Back-to-back storms cripple business as usual in Nome
Back-to-back blizzards with tons of snow and high winds have hammered Nome since late January and the accumulation of a total of 76 inches of snow is now beginning to take a toll on residents.
Nome, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Freezing winds encase house in a shell of ice
Strong winds and freezing temperatures left an upstate New York lake house encased in a shell of ice.
Lake Ontario, Ont., Canada
CNN

‘Februburied’: Record snowfall stacks up in Sierra Nevada at Truckee Tahoe resorts
The snow began falling in early February and hardly let up until the last day of the month, setting records at local ski resorts and causing havoc across the
Truckee, California, United States
Sierra Sun

Dry Creek at Harrison Island
Harrison Island, Haida Gwaii

Southern Hemisphere Hoodwinker Sunfish Washes Up in California
Rare hoodwinker sunfish, never before seen in Northern Hemisphere, washes up at Coal Oil Point Reserve
Isla Vista, California, United States
The UCSB Current

Train on Trans-Siberian railway goes through wall of fire from grass and forest inferno
Wildfires ablaze early in year due to lack of snow, posing threat to railway in Russian Far East.
Vladivostok, Primorskiy, Russia

Squaw sets February snowfall record
The latest storm to hit the Truckee-Tahoe area dropped another 30 inches of snow at Squaw Valley’s upper mountain, breaking the record at the resort for most snowfall in February. This month, Squaw Valley has been hit with 205 inches of snow at its upper mountain and more is currently coming down. The previous record…
Squaw Valley, California, United States
Sierra Sun

Capelin Stocks In Poor Shape
As a result, the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute (MFRI) will not permit fishing of the species this coming season. Capelin is the second most important export species of fish in Iceland after cod.
Reykjavík, Capital Region, Iceland
Iceland Review

Eagle preys on duck on Saanich Peninsula
‘I’ve never seen that before in my life’
North Saanich, British Columbia, Canada
Victoria News

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
RÚV

Storm Rages Across Iceland
Storms affecting most of the country, particularly Southeast and East Iceland, have damaged property and put travellers in danger. According to the Icelandic Met Office, storm conditions are expected to continue into the evening. Residents and tourists alike are advised against travelling in the affected areas. Search and rescue called out Search and rescue teams […]
Hornafjörður, Austurland, Iceland

White-tailed eagles congregate in Vaasa as habitats shrink
The WWF and locals report sightings of 10-15 eagles at a time in western Finland.
Vaasa, Ostrobothnia, Finland
Yle Uutiset

30 year temperature record broken
Warm temperatures break 30 year record.
Svelgen, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
NRK Sogn- og Fjordane

Walls of ice bulldoze ashore from Lake Erie
Extreme winds from a huge weekend storm over the Great Lakes pushed huge walls of ice on the shores of Lake Erie.
Hoover Beach, New York, United States
CNN

Snake has woken early from winter hibernation
Snake wakens early from winter sleep. He is a sure spring sign, but is not happy in February. If you see a viper at this time of year, then there may be several snakes in the vicinity.
Berle, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
NRK Sogn- og Fjordane

Roundheaded Wood Borer

That ice was 3300 years old. And now it melts
Thousands of years old ice disappears all over Norway. Dag Inge Bakke (42) is among those struggling to save the frozen archive of the past.
Galdhøpiggen, Oppland, Norway
NRK Norsk Rikskringkasting

Two Banff National Park wolf packs likely decimated by trapping
‘There’s a really high likelihood that the pack is just gone altogether’
Banff National Park
The Narwhal

Temperatures in Northern Finland to soar 40 degrees in one day
There are no records to indicate the last time there was such a radical temperature change in a 24-hour period.
Muonio, Lapland, Finland

Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) Entering Breeding Grounds Early
Swans have arrived early in Southeast Alaska this year, with most lakes still frozen and no green grass anywhere. Most lakes are frozen; the swan is sticking to a small patch of water surrounded by ice.
Metlakatla, Alaska, United States

Residents of Smog-Hit Russian Town Sue Over Health Complications
Locals blamed a mining company for attempting to hide what they called an 'ecological tragedy.'
Sibay, Bashkortostan, Russia
The Moscow Times

Lots of Female King Crabs (Paralithodes camtschaticus)
Large number of Red King Crabs (*Paralithodes camtschaticus*) found on the beach during an extreme low tide. According to fisheries researchers, crabs move to shallow water to hatch and release eggs.
Juneau, Alaska, United States

Early Reports of Black and Brown Bear
Brown bear spotted on Kupreanof Island for the first time.
Kake, Alaska, United States

Spring flowers bloom very early
The winter holiday offers 15 degrees (C) of heat and spring flowers.
Lavik, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Company) Sogn og Fjordane

Weather and wildlife changes
Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana

One Small Colorado Town Ran Out Of Water. How Did It Happen?
One morning in mid-February, David Herz went to turn on the faucet in his farmhouse outside the small western Colorado town of Paonia, and nothing came…
Paonia, Colorado, United States
KUNC

Ash turns Siberia snow black triggering acute pollution concerns from locals
Blame for pollution is focused on failure of coal plant to filter emissions.
Прокопьевский, Кемеровская область, Russia

Unusual Flooding in February
A warm winter storm leads to sea ice loss and flooding of homes in Western Alaska. "Damage to the foundation of the homes is all I think happened, besides wet clothing and a few things on the floor."

Snow closes Haleakala National Park and creates social media buzz
Snow on Haleakala?
Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Coastal Flood Advisory
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States
Olivia Lee, Richard L Thoman Jr, John Henry

Leads in Ice After Warm Storm
Leads appeared following a warm storm, in areas with usually stable, shorefast ice. The leads separate many crabbers from their pots, and are illustrative of how Norton Sound's recent erratic sea ice patterns are altering subsistence opportunities and patterns.

A 'invasion’ of polar bears is terrorizing an island town in Russia
Thinning sea ice has driven more than 50 polar bears ashore on an Arctic archipelago in northern Russia, causing chaos for the local population.
Rogachëvo, Arkhangelskaya, Russia

‘Historic’ storm hurls huge waves and 191 mph winds at Hawaii. Rare snow hits Maui.
Snow may have fallen at the lowest elevation ever observed in the state.
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

Snow on Haleakala
Launiupoko, Hawaii, United States

Alaska biologist report increased sighting of mink in Kodiak
KODIAK, Alaska (AP) — Sightings of mink are increasing around Kodiak, Alaska wildlife biologists said of the animal — a species not native to the area. The first sighting was several years ago, the Kodiak Daily Mirror reported . Alaska Department of Fish and Game wildlife biologist John Crye said the sightings began after he got a call from an individual who was interested in raising and farming the animals.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States
AP NEWS

Extreme rain reactivates waterfall
Deadly floods in northern Chile left homes and roads destroyed.
Atacama Desert, Chile
BBC News

Yukon ice cave definitely changing geologist says
The spectacular natural formation near Haines Junction has become a big draw for visitors.
Haines Junction, Yukon, Canada

Swordfish becoming much more common in Vesterålen
n 52 years, 36 observations of the species have been recorded in Norway. This one included.
Sortland, Nordland, Norway
NRK

Botulism cases reported in Nome
Public health officials confirmed that four Nome residents had been hospitalized in early January with preliminary results pointing to poising from foodborne type E botulism from an aged beluga flipper.
The Nome Nugget

We get warmer and warmer later in the year
In Etne in Hordaland, 30.4 degrees of heat were measured at 15 today. Never has it been so hot so late in the year in Norway.
Etne, Hordaland, Norway
NRK
Oddleif Løset, Birger Kolsrud Jåsund and Geir Bjarte Hjetland

Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) With Bad Odor and Taste
The smelt, caught through the ice in late January, may have caused a person who ate some to get sick. Local, tribal and state officials worked together to collect and analyze the fish.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States
Gay Sheffield, Bob Gerlach, Percy Nayokpuk, Jayde Ferguson, Anahma Shannon, Louisa Castrodale, Racheal Lee, Tim Thomas, Sharon Nayokpuk, David Verbrugge, Mike Brubaker

72 dead baby sharks removed from dead pregnant shark during necropsy at Coles Bay
Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the University of Victoria’s Juanes Laboratory think the shark came into shallow water to give birth and potentially had complications, as there are no signs of trauma.
Coles Bay, Saanich, BC

Icebergs and Open Sea
Very strong south winds took out all the sea ice and created an ice pile in front of the village.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States
Andrew Kakoona, Olivia Lee, Sharon Nayokpuk

Eagle Sighting
Eagle sighting during winter in Western Alaska.
Kongiganak, Alaska, United States

Pregnant shark washes up on Vancouver Island shoreline
The carcass of a nearly four-metre-long bluntnose sixgill shark was found on Coles Bay Tuesday.
North Saanich, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Island

Pregnant Bluntnose Sixgill Shark (Hexanchus griseus) in Coles Bay
A pregnant bluntnose sixgill shark found on the banks of Coles Bay may have come in to shallow water to give birth and died from complications.
Cole Bay, British Columbia, Canada

Heavy snowfall stalls inter-city trains until Thursday
The state rail company VR has said that it will substitute buses on some of the cancelled rail trips.
Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland

Yukon ice conditions unusual this year, says snowmobile association
'This year especially there's been lots of reports of thin ice and open water in places where there hasn't been in previous years,' said James Connor of the Klondike Snowmobile Association.
Drury Lake, Yukon

Australians could find crocodiles, snakes in ‘unexpected places’ after floods, officials warn
Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Washington Post

Black bear wandering around Kincaid Park in the middle of winter? Here’s why.
If high temperatures melt snow and that leads to a bear’s den getting flooded, that’s another reason the bear might head outside. It’ll likely try to find another den, Farley said.
Kinkaid Park

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

Record cold damages grape buds in Essex County
Two record cold nights have damaged grape buds in Essex County with Merlot, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc particularly at risk.
Essex County, Ontario
Windsor Star

More snow to hit Sweden after temperatures drop to new record cold
The weather station in Nikkaluokta recorded a frigid -39.5C, setting the record for the lowest temperature of the winter.
Nikkaluokta, Norrbotten, Sweden
thelocal.se

Chilean scientists discover mass die-off of krill in Antarctica
The scientific literature indicates that, in general, crustacean wash ashore due to hypoxia (low oxygen) or to phenomena such as excess sediment in suspension and changes in water temperature.
Antarctica
Fish Information & Services

Deep freeze hits area
MARQUETTE — In light of the bitterly cold air and wind chills falling far below zero, all Michigan state offices are closed today, and the U.S. Postal Service
Ishpeming, Michigan, United States
miningjournal.net

Reported wolverine sightings are up, says N.W.T. gov
Last week, in the wee hours of the morning, a curious wolverine was caught on camera wandering the hallway to a dormitory at Diavik Diamond Mine.
Northwest Territories

Midwest Freeze Cancels Flights, Even Stops the Mail
Chicago, Illinois, United States
NBC News

Pale Green Waters Spell Danger
When the green water is here, its dangerous to travel straight across the Lagoon to White Mountain. In the past we took the land route, cross on Kitchavik river and on up over land to White Mountain.
Golovin, Alaska, United States

Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) Spotted Walking with Cubs in Mid-Winter
Weather had been pouring rain and 45-degree temps for several days leading up to the sighting.
Haines, Alaska, United States

Rising sea levels could kill off 500-year-old trees in New Jersey forest
Dark water formed an eddy around Steve Eisenhauer's boots as they sank into the muck at the base of a 90-foot black gum tree so old, its roots were deep in this ground when the Pilgrims landed.
Bear Swamp, Cedarville, New Jersey, United States
Phys.org

Brown Bear Awake in January
Hungry and looking for food, where it was last fall. Very warm 40 degrees and rain. I'm sure it disturbed his hibernation.
Pedro Bay, Alaska, United States

Large Number of Redpolls (Acanthis)
Fox, Alaska, United States

Invasion of redpolls sends seeds flying
After a record-low last winter, the birds are making a comeback. Redpolls, seen in two varieties in Alaska — the common and the hoary — have attracted scientists’ attention because the birds survive super-cold temperatures. Physiologist Laurence Irving ranked redpolls’ feathers just behind pine grosbeaks for “apparent usefulness for insulation.”Redpolls have a secret weapon other small birds, including chickadees, don’t possess: food pouches on each side of their necks.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Driver badly hurt when falling rock hits car on Seward Highway
Authorities warned that drivers should use caution in the area due to the potential for additional rockslides.

Across Australia, Yet Another Scorching Summer
Australia’s heat waves, now an annual ordeal, have been expanding into new territory — like Tasmania, where more than 50 wildfires were burning as of Friday.
Australia
New York Times

Another Sand Point fisherman is chomped on by a sea lion
The third such bite in two years prompted a police warning in the Aleutian Islands town.
Sand Point, Alaska, United States

Rare Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Spotted in Western P.E.I.
A woman who put bird seed out in her yard in St. Chrysostome, in western P.E.I., was thrilled she ended up attracting a rare bird.
Saint Chrysostome, Prince Edward Island, Canada

A coyote attracts attention in Anchorage
A Fish and Game biologist urges people to give the animals space.

Yukon Quest's route shortened this year because of lack of snow
For safety dogs and mushers will be trucked from Braeburn to Carmacks.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Uncommon: reports of 2 wolves in town of Norman Wells
Officers received four separate calls in 48 hours from Sunday to Monday. The wolves were quite active, quite brazen, coming out in the daylight hours right in residential areas. One resident had a dog encounter with one of the wolves but was not harmed.
Norman Wells, Northwest Territories, Canada

Alaska man kills polar bear that strayed from its usual habitat
Jim Hollandsworth of Arctic Village said he encountered the bear in early January. He said the bear had tried to get into his cabin about 32 kilometers from the village.
Arctic Village, Alaska, United States

Extreme wet January displaces thousands and floods farmland in Mercosur member countries
Intense rainfall in northeast Argentina and neighbouring areas in Mercosur members has caused devastating floods, amplifying the economic burdens of Argentina's recession. Over 5,000 people have evacuated the region, and millions of hectares of crops have been sent underwater.
Mercosur member countries
MercoPress

‘A sad day’: two more B.C. mountain caribou herds now locally extinct
The Kootenay populations, a fixture on the landscape for thousands of years, succumbed to industrial disturbances and other human activity in their critical habitat.
Salmo, British Columbia, Canada
The Narwhal

Another bad year for sargassum seaweed forecast for Quintana Roo
Large quantities of sargassum are likely to wash up on the beaches of Mexico’s Caribbean coast in 2019, according to a researcher.
Atlantic Ocean
Mexico News Daily

Four dead, thousands evacuated in north Argentina floods
Heavy rainfall breaks local and regional records, as provincial governments in the Litoral region struggle to
Paso de los Libres, Corrientes Province, Argentina
Buenos Aires Times

State investigates Prudhoe Bay wells after a second North Slope well ‘jacked up’ and leaked oil and gas
The incident appears similar to an oil and gas release in 2017 blamed on thawing permafrost and hot production fluids.
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States

Russian military sent to assess giant rockfall blocking Bureya River
Urgent measures underway to evacuate residents of remote villages after flood threat caused by rising water above new ‘dam’.
село Усть-Ургал, Верхнебуреинский район, Хабаровский край, Russia

Freeze already! Hopes sinking for Dawson City ice bridge, despite cold snap
Normal ice build up not occurring. It seems like the ice along the shoreline is not moving into the river.
Dawson City, Yukon, Canada

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

Sinkholes in parking lot - earthquake aftermath?
It has been a month since the 7.0 earthquake in Anchorage. Are these sinkholes which suddenly appeared related?

Sea lions survive with the help of Kamchatka residents
Sea lions have been pushed to come closer town because of marine pollution and over fishing, and now they are eating the scraps from the fish processing plant.
Петропавловск-Камчатский, Kamchatka, Russia
РЕН ТВ

3 wildfires reported in Fort Liard area
'These fires can then pop back up in the spring when conditions warm up,' says the environment department. A local crew will likely extinguish the fires by Monday.
Fort Liard, Northwest Territories, Canada

Windstorm and Widespread Forest Blowdown
Damage assessment underway due to fallen trees, hanging debris
Whisky Creek, British Columbia
Port Alberni Valley News

Wolves are preying on dogs in Old Crow
Wolves don't typically linger around the community, they're hungry because the caribou are all in Alaska right now. There's also little snow around Old Crow so it may be harder for wolves to hunt moose. About ten dogs have been killed.
Old Crow, Yukon, Canada

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

Possible Alaska Hare (Lepus othus) Tracks
Strange tracks between Pilot Point and Ugashik, found near the river may belong to an Alaska hare (*Lepus othus*)
Pilot Point, Alaska, United States
Wilson Justin, Dave Crowley, Gregory Kingsley

Amid environmental grief, finding hope in a graveyard of yellow cedar
One ecologist wonders, for the yellow cedar forests and the people who care about them, what comes after climate change and environmental loss in Southeast Alaska?
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Elizabeth Jenkins, Alaska's Energy Desk - Juneau

A jellyfish ‘epidemic’ has Australian scientists wondering if climate change is to be blamed
More than 13,000 stings were recorded in Queensland alone last week, with more than 2,500 people seeking treatment over the weekend, according to rescue organizations.
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
BostonGlobe.com

Wandering seals swarm streets of Newfoundland town
Officials are warning residents in Roddickton, Newfoundland to keep their distance from seals that have wandered into town.
According to resident Brendon Fitzpatrick, some have crawled 6 to 8 km away from the ocean.
Roddickton, Newfoundland, Canada
The Weather Network

Thousands of Queensland beachgoers stung by swarm of jellyfish
Surf Life Saving Queensland said a “whopping” 3,595 people were stung by jellyfish, forcing the closure of popular swimming spots across the northern state. Lifeguards said the invasion was caused by unusually strong north-easterly winds.
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
The Independent

Decline of mountain bird populations
Some species have experienced a much greater decline than average. For the snowflake in Scandinavia there is talk of approx. 35 percent, patchwork 25 percent.
Vadsø, Finnmark Fylke, Norway
NRK, Norwegian Broadcasting Company

5 dogs attacked by lynx in Inuvik since late November, says official
Lynx have attacked five dogs in Inuvik since late November, a trend a local wildlife officer calls surprising. The behaviour is unusual since lynx are typically reclusive animals and don't usually come into inhabited areas.
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada

Delhi air pollution surges to emergency levels
Air quality index at 12 times US government-recommended level and visibility low
Delhi, NCT, India
the Guardian

Residents along Lake Erie spending thousands to protect homes from erosion
An Amherstburg couple has been dealing with shoreline erosion along their waterfront property, and they've invested thousands of dollars in an effort to protect it.
Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada

Strong winter storm batters Finland, causing power cuts, traffic delays
Record wind speeds have been clocked in southern maritime districts as a storm dubbed Aapeli causes widespread power cuts and train delays across Finland.
Tampere, Pirkanmaa, Finland

First ever winter sighting of blue-green algae in Gulf of Finland
In the frigid waters of the Gulf of Finland, cyanobacteria has been observed for the first time during the winter months.
Pernå, Uusimaa, Finland

Black bear filmed awake and active in Eagle River
Despite it almost being January, an Eagle River homeowner has captured footage of a black bear awake and active around her house.
Eagle River, Alaska, United States
KTUU

Super-cold thunderstorm sets record with -111°C cloud temperature
According to a new study, -111°C is more than 30°C colder than typical storm clouds and is the coldest measurement of storm cloud temperature on record.
near Nauru
The Weather Network

Northern Extension of Crow Habitat/Range
Northwest crow (*Corvus caurinus*) pair nesting in Anchorage, possibly north of range.
Kenai Peninsula and Anchorage, Southcentral Alaska

Extreme cold warning issued for Behchoko, Whati and Wekweeti
The temperatures are expected to be –40 C, and with extreme wind chills it will feel colder than –50 C.. Environment Canada wrote that if it’s;too cold for you to stay outside, it’s too cold for your pet to stay outside.
Whati, Wekweeti & Behchoko, NWT

The changing nature of Canada's forest supply as fires, bugs, and climate bite
Mills in the heart of Canada's timber industry have fallen quieter this winter as wildfires and infestations made worse by climate change have made vast tracts of once valuable forest into barren stands of dead trees.
Fraser Lake, British Columbia, Canada
Alaska Highway News

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Wilmington, Delaware

Hurricane force winds recorded near Tofino
Typically these storms remain off the coast of Vancouver Island and we only see the frontal systems move ashore.
Lennard Island Lighthouse, British Columbia, Canada
CHEK

Heavy rain in store for the shortest day of the year
The temperature in Boston rose to 63 degrees on Friday, breaking the previous record for the day of 62, which was set in 1957.
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
BostonGlobe.com

Heart of White Rock breaks along with pier
Long time White Rock resident and CBC Producer Joan Marshall reflects on what the pier has meant to her and her community.
White Rock, British Columbia, Canada

Late Freeze up in Lower Kuskokwim
Late freeze on the Lower Kuskokwim produced ice conditions unsafe for travel in November.
Oscarville, Alaska, United States

Birders spy 70 species during Christmas Bird Count
The Homer Tribune - Offering news of the people, places and events of Homer and the lower Kenai Peninsula
Homer, Alaska, United States

Distemper Remains Likely Cause of Gulf of Maine Seal Die-Off
Scientists have narrowed down the top likely causes of more than 1,400 seal deaths across New England.
Gloucester, Massachusetts, United States
National Public Radio

As Polar Bear Attacks Increase in Warming Arctic, a Search for Solutions
With sea ice reduced, polar bears in the Arctic are spending more time on land, leading to increased attacks on people. Concerned Inuit communities want to increase hunting quotas, but researchers are testing new technologies they hope will reduce these often deadly confrontations.
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
Yale E360

Drivers Need To Stick To Marked Trails On Lower Kuskokwim River
Drivers need to stick to marked trails on the Lower Kuskokwim River, according to the latest update from Bethel Search and Rescue’s Earl Samuelson. There is a spot in front of Oscarville that has only 9 inches of ice, which Samuelson says is too thin to drive a truck on.
Oscarville, Alaska, United States
KYUK

She lives where the soil heats up the fastest
People in Longyearbyen have replaced parkas with a shell jacket. They must calculate with rainfall in January and February. Both snowmobiles and dogs must be parked. People are annoyed and disappointed. Others are very concerned.
Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
NRK

Tornado touches down near Port Orchard, rips roofs off homes
The tornado touched down and damaged homes on the Kitsap Peninsula. No injuries were discovered in a primary search, according to the Washington State Patrol.
Port Orchard, Washington, United States
The Seattle Times

String of collapses at Del Mar bluffs
Officials press forward with emergency plan following string of collapses at Del Mar bluffs.
Del Mar, California, United States
Los Angeles Times

200 reindeer died on an Arctic Island -- and researchers think climate change is to blame
It rained on December 15th in Svalbard and the resulting ice made it difficult for reindeer to graze. The reindeer likely starved to death after being unable to find food, according to scientists at the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI).
Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen

After 6 days, still no trace of couple who went missing at Big Lake
Hundreds of people have combed the terrain near Big Lake, but there’s still no sign of LaVerne and Van Pettigen.
Big Lake, Alaska, United States

Earthquake effects linger in problems with water wells
From Eagle River to Wasilla, people on private wells are contending with cloudy water -- and worse.
Eagle River, Alaska, United States

Sea lions have enemies. Now someone is shooting them in the head.
Seattle, Washington, United States
Washington Post

Johannesburg: fire in township leaves thousands homeless
Local charities call for donations after blaze wrecks 500 homes in Alexandra
Modderfontein, Gauteng, South Africa
the Guardian

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

Dawson City ice bridge looking uncertain again this year
Now three years in a row the river is jammed, upriver from Dawson, and that leaves a big open lead of water right in front of town.
Dawson, Yukon, Canada

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

Shellfish washed up on P.E.I. beach by 'ripper' of a storm
Thousands of lobsters, clams, quahogs and crabs have washed up on the shore at Robinson's Island, a consequence of no sea ice and big waves.
Robinsons Island, Prince Edward Island, Canada
CBC News

7.0 earthquake, aftershocks strike Southcentral Alaska; damage reported across region
Seismologists called the quake the most significant in the state’s largest city since 1964, in terms of how strong the ground itself shook.

Earthquake creates massive sinkhole on Anchorage roadway
At least one car was on the ramp at the time of the quake, a photo of which circulated on social media Friday morning.
KTVA

Smelt (Osmerus mordax) Mortality
Thousands of smelts were found dead during low tide in the Togiak slough. Is there an environmental cause?
Togiak, Alaska, United States

Hundreds of apparently 'flash-frozen' turtles wash ashore in New England
Robert Prescott, of the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, believes a warming trend allowed the turtles to delay their migration south.
Cape Cod, Massachusetts, United States
the Guardian

White-winged Dove Sighted
After a day of birding on P.E.I., an Island woman returned home to find a rare white-winged dove at her backyard feeder.
Stratford, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Open Water Disrupting Winter River Travel
Ice conditions on the Yukon have changed since the 1980's. Now, open water is more common in spots along the river, which impacts winter travel.
Koyukuk, Alaska, United States

Heavy showers, hail and thunderstorms for Auckland, flooding risk in Otago
And the next few days show no signs of letting up.
Otago Region, New Zealand
NZ Herald

Red Tide comes to Baldwin County
The discovery of red tide along Baldwin County's beaches has prompted warnings from the Alabama Department of Health, local health experts and city officials. State health officials said water samples, which were taken on Monday, show low to medium levels of the toxin releasing algal blooms from Little Lagoon Pass in Gulf Shores to Alabama Point in Orange Beach. It's concerning news for Mobile native Stephen Crigler, who brought his family down to Gulf Shores for Thanksgiving.
Gulf Shores, Alabama, United States
WPMI

Changing winter conditions
This was the warmest autumn on record for western Alaska. Local observer comments on how lack of sea ice is effecting fish and bird behavior.
Golovin, Alaska, United States

In Siberia, When it Snows it Snows
In the industrial city of Norilsk in Siberia's Krasnoyarsk region, which sits above the Arctic Circle, visibility dropped to zero and buses, planes and ships were canceled or rerouted as a snowstorm raged on Tuesday, reaching speeds of 25 meters per second. The city's emergency services stayed on high alert as a holiday was declared for children and mobile heating stations were set up.
Норильск, Красноярский край, Russia
Moscow Times

Beached whale had 115 plastic cups in its stomach
A dead whale that washed ashore in eastern Indonesia had a large lump of plastic waste in its stomach, including drinking cups and flip-flops, a park official said Tuesday, causing concern among environmentalists and government officials in one of the world's largest plastic polluting countries.
Wakatobi, Sulawesi Tenggara, Indonesia
CTVNews

Swans trapped in Mundy Pond ice in St. John’s
Two swans are stuck in the ice at Mundy Pond in St. John’s this morning.
City officials were made aware of the situation through calls to 311 and by a pedestrian walking around the pond who flagged down a passing city
Saint John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
The Telegram

Dirty water may be reason for very strange shortage of fish harvest, says N.W.T. angler
Anglers in Aklavik, N.W.T., are trying to figure out why there was a shortage of fish in local hotspots this year.
Aklavik, Northwest Territories, Canada

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

Finland has greyest start to November since 2000 – but there's light at the end of the tunnel
The Central Finland town of Jyväskylä has had a sum total of 4.5 hours of sunshine so far in November.
Jyväskylä, Keski-Suomi, Finland

California fires: Number of missing soars over 1,000 as Paradise reels from unfathomable losses
The death toll in the Camp fire in Northern California rose to 63 Thursday as President Trump planned to visit California to meet with people impacted by the wildfires in what marks his second trip to the state since his election.
Paradise, California, United States
latimes.com
Alene Tchekmedyian, Nicole Santa Cruz, Javier Panzar

Vegetation in Barents Region disturbed by mid-autumn thaw
After frost comes spring, but when it happens in mid-November plants get confused. That is not good news.
Kirkenes, Finnmark Fylke, Norway
The Independent Barents Observer

Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) Sighting
Laysan Albatross (*Phoebastria immutabilis*) seen in the north during typical nesting season.
Sitka, Alaska, United States

Caribbean swamped by seaweed that smells like rotten eggs
From Belize to Barbados, tourist beaches have been swamped by huge tides of foul-smelling sargassum – and climate change could make the problem worse
Ambergris Caye, Belize, Belize

Rough seas hamper containment and recovery operations at White Rose oilfield
Husky Energy was still working as of deadline to address a sizable offshore oil spill that occurred Friday, but rough seas on Saturday and into Sunday afternoon continued to prevent containment and recovery of approximately 250,000 liters of oil despite the arrival of a recovery team Sunday afternoon.
White Rose Oilfield
The Telegram

Study finds healthy group of polar bears in sea near Alaska
The first formal count of polar bears in waters between the United States and Russia indicates they are doing better than some of their cousins elsewhere. However, in the longer term, it doesn't mean the Chukchi Sea bear population will not be affected. Fewer cubs were surviving into their second year and adult males weighed less and had smaller skulls, the U.S. Geological Survey found.

Southcentral Alaska sees most destructive spruce beetle outbreak in over two decades
Spruce beetles damaged nearly 600,000 acres of forest in 2018, and the damage continues to grow.

Warming ocean is devouring Alaska’s coast
A permafrost coastline is receding dramatically along Alaska's North Slope region. It could be an indicator of far more massive land losses across the Arctic.
Drew Point, Alaska

Bacterial Infection in 16 Broad Whitefish (Coregonus nasus)
The skin lesion in the photo is likely caused by a stress-related bacterial infection – possibly trauma initiated. Probably common opportunistic bacteria in the environment such as motile Pseudomonas/Aeromonas Gram-negative organisms.
Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States

Hundreds of sea lions take over docks of Cowichan Bay
A raucous crowd has moved into Cowichan Bay and the volume and odour coming from them is wafting for blocks around. Locals estimate over 300 sea lions have descended on the Cowichan community and their presence is proving a huge tourist draw.
Duncan, British Columbia, Canada
CHEK

130+cm of snow has fallen here and winter hasn't even begun
Bundle up, sit by the fire and warm your hot chocolate before reading this. It's only November 12 and one spot in the country has already picked up four and a half feet of snow! And that lucky (or maybe unlucky) winner is...
Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
The Weather Network

Unusually warm early winter in Lapland
Enontekiö, Lapland, Finland

'New normal' ferocious winds whip up deadly California fires
Two deadly wildfires fueled by "devil winds" tore through opposite ends of California on Sunday, with residents urged to heed evacuation orders by officials forced to leave their own homes. In northern California, the Camp Fire is one of the deadliest and most destructive in the state'
Paradise, California, United States
Reuters

Herring (Clupea pallasii) in Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) stomach
Odd time of year for seals to be eating herring.
Haines, Alaska, United States

Cattle egrets and an exceptional heron
It started when Jamie Brandon posted a picture of cattle egret in a field with cows at Great Barasway. When the dust cleared a whopping nine cattle egrets had been discovered making it the largest influx of cattle egrets in Newfoundland in living memory.
Angels Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
The Telegram

Fairbanks snowpack thin in least-snowy year since 1926
The Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy calculated that, as of Wednesday, a total of 0.7 inches of snow had fallen at Fairbanks International Airport, making this the least snowy year here since 1926.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

White Mountain man missing after falling through ice
Stormy weather stalled a search and rescue effort on Monday for a man from White Mountain, whose 4-wheeler broke through thin ice at the edge of Golovin Bay on Sunday.
White Mountain, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Aftermath of Nov. Storm at Kivalina
Kivalina, Alaska, United States

Herring Infection Worsens
A considerable number of the herring catch that’s been landed in recent days has been found to be infected. As such, almost all of it will be incinerated.
Note, according to Fisheries Information and Resource System (FIRMS) the infection rate of herring with Ichthyophonus in Iceland was estimated to be 32% in the in the winter 2008/2009.
Vopnafjörður, Austurland, Iceland

Finland's wolf population sees up to 50 percent growth this year
According to the Natural Resources Institute (Luke), the wolf population is expanding into the south and west – but winter will once more contain their numbers.
Posio, Lapland, Finland

Chemically-cleaned Finnish lake still clear, but now overrun by waterweed
Littoinen Lake made headlines in 2017 when it was chemically treated because it was overwhelmed with phosphorous and algae. Now there is a new problem.
Turku, Varsinais-Suomi, Finland

25 polar bears plus cubs besiege village of Ryrkaypiy in Chukotka
The animals are irritated because they are ready to leave the area and start hunting in the deep sea, but ice is too thin, said Malakhova.
Ryrkaypiy, Russia

Ecological collapse of Toronto's ravine system has begun, researcher says
Ravines in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
CBC News

Italy floods leave 30 dead — 'illegal building' targeted by regional court
At least 30 people have been killed over the past week in storms, tornadoes, floods, mudslides and gale-force winds across Italy.
Palermo, Italy
euronews

'Really shocking': Sperm whales spotted near Pond Inlet
The two whales were spotted just 10 minutes outside of Pond Inlet, surprising local guides and scientists, who say it's a sign of shifts in the ecosystem.
Pond inlet, Nunavut

Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) North of Usual Range
Brown Booby (*Sula leucogaster*) sighted far north of its usual tropical habitat.
Sitka, Alaska, United States

Rarely seen whale stranded on Waikato beach dies
A stranded whale on a Waikato beach has died, despite rescuers; best efforts to save it.
Waikato Region, New Zealand
Radio New Zealand

Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) die-off French Beach
Many mature Sitka spruce trees dying off from French Beach south into Sooke along waterfront. Many dead partway up and needles thin.
North Saanich, British Columbia, Canada
Elizabeth Graham, Jacob Earnshaw, Robin Mulvey

Dangerously high levels of Red Tide found in bivalve shellfish on B.C. coast
The threshold for closure is set at 80 parts per million, but concentration in those areas were found to be as high as 1,300 parts per million.The warning applies to oysters, clams, scallops, mussels and geoduck.
Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada
Global News

Three new humpback whales identified off east Vancouver Island
Three new humpback whales have been identified off the East Coast of Vancouver Island as that species makes a massive comeback in our waters.
Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada

Three-quarters of Venice underwater as city hit by worst flooding in a decade
At least 11 people were killed across Italy as a result of severe storms, authorities say.
Venezia, Venezia, Italy
CBS News

Red tide has contributed to the deaths of nearly 190 Florida manatees, FWC says
Red tide has contributed to or is suspected in the deaths of nearly 190 manatees so far this year.
Florida, United States
WFTS

Jelly-like Meat Texture Found in Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida)
Ringed seal (*Phoca hispida*) found with jelly-like meat texture and thin skin near the armpit and ribcage.
Scammon Bay, Alaska, United States

Canada's dry lakes and dust storms 'warning for planet'
For 300 years, glacial runoff was the major water source for Kluane Lake, flowing in by way of the Slims River. But in May 2016, Kluane Lake levels dropped precipitously. The problem was a case of "river piracy" — incredibly rare, and hugely significant. The terminus or end of the Kaskawulsh glacier had receded enough that a glacial lake that fed the Slims River suddenly drained when the glacier outflow found a new direction to a new river.
Kluane Lake

Rising Seas Forcing Changes on Maryland's Historic Eastern Shore Farms
Scientists search for options as coastal farms surrender to salt water
Princess Anne, Maryland, United States
VOA

Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)
Gray Catbird found northwest of its normal range.
Sitka, Alaska, United States

Dead Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)
Dead sea otter (*Enhydra lutris*) found on the beach with no obvious sign of injury although it did show signs of hair loss.
McDonald Spit, Alaska

The Abandoned Graveyards on a Thawing Arctic Island
Climate change is causing trouble on Herschel Island.
Herschel Island, Yukon Territory
Atlas Obscura

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris) living near Race Rocks
Race Rocks Ecological Reserve, British Columbia, Canada

Large Sea Purse (Big Skate, Raja binoculata?)
Large egg case found on beach, perhaps belonging to a Big Skate (*Raja binoculata*)

The worst U.S. storm landfall since 1935 leaves Northern Mariana Islands devastated
Residents of the U.S. territory were bracing for months without electricity or running water in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yutu.
Northern Mariana Islands
Caleb Jones, Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Associated Press

Sea Nettle Jellyfish (Chrysaora melanaster) are Landing
Sea Nettle (*Chrysaora melanaster*) jellyfish washed up on the beach.

Cordova windstorm wrecks roofs, sets derelict fish processor adrift
A 100-foot vessel, the Polar Bear, ended up aground on an island across a channel from the town.
Cordova, Alaska, United States

Odd Starfish Appearance (Pisaster ochraceus)
Sea Star (*Pisaster ochraceus*) appears sick but is actually healthy.
Larsen Bay, Alaska, United States

Remote Hawaiian island vanishes underwater after hurricane
East Island, a strip of gravel and sand northwest of Honolulu, "appears to be under water" after Hurricane Walaka surged past Hawaii, officials said.
East Island, Hawai'i
USA TODAY

Two rare earthquakes shake western Alaska coast
Two quakes shook the coast of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Tuesday night about 45 miles offshore of the community of Hooper Bay.
Hooper Bay, Alaska, United States

Natural anthrax killed 13 bison on farm in northern B.C.
The animals are thought to have contracted the disease from exposure to dormant anthrax spores in the soil of a feeding site on a farm. This is the first documented case of anthrax in livestock in B.C
Fort Saint John, British Columbia, Canada
680 NEWS

Nearly 3,000 people evacuated in Puerto Vallarta
Between two thousand and three thousand are estimated to have been evacuated in Puerto Vallarta, according to estimates by municipal authorities; however,
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
Puerto Vallarta News

Coyote (Canis latrans) Sighting
Uncommon coyote sighting in the Interior.
Fox, Alaska, United States

Possible green Halloween on the horizon in Fairbanks
With Halloween just over a week out, Fairbanks is looking at the potential of a third straight year with minimal snow cover, and a possible first ever green Halloween.

Kodiak rancher says bears have killed 30 head of cattle this year
Chris Flickinger says the number of animals killed by bears is way above average, causing a sizable financial loss.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States

The warm-water blob is back off the B.C. coast
The blob is the popular name for a huge patch of warm water that has reached above normal temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.
Tofino, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Sun

Ketchikan on 24/7 diesel power for foreseeable future
During Thursday’s Ketchikan City Council meeting, City Manager Karl Amylon said that Ketchikan Public Utilities started switching back and forth between hydro and diesel a few weeks ago, but starting Oct. 15th, extremely low lake levels meant switching completely to diesel.
Ketchikan, Alaska, United States
KRBD

Seismologist says earthquake may have triggered mudslide on the Haines Highway
Southeast Alaska had a very dry September. Heavy rains returned to the region this month, triggering a large mudslide on the Haines Highway.
Haines, Alaska, United States
KHNS - Haines

'A really, really significant sighting': Vancouver Island birdwatchers aflutter over unusual arrival
It's believed the pine bunting has never been seen south of Alaska — until this week.
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

'Son of the blob': Unseasonably warm weather creating new anomaly off B.C. coast
A meteorologist says unseasonably warm weather in B.C. is once again causing a large area of the Pacific Ocean to heat up considerably, emulating a phenomenon from past years known as the “blob.”
Gulf of Alaska

Warm early winter topples century-old records
For the first time in more than a century with no recorded snow -- not even a trace -- this late in October, as of Tuesday the 16th. On top of that, warm weather across the state is setting marks for the latest freeze date on record.
Casey Grove, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

Unusual Squid Found on Shoreline
Squid are becoming more common on the shoreline over the past few years.
Aleksandrovsk, Alaska, United States

Potentially deadly infection hits California sea lions
A rescue center says California sea lions are coming down with a potentially fatal bacterial infection in near-record numbers.The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito says more than 220 sea lions rescued this year have been diagnosed with leptospirosis.
Sausalito, California, United States
ABC News

Missing Bull Kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) Bed
Large bull kelp (*Nereocystis luetkeana*) bed near the 1st channel marker, which used to attract sea otters, has disappeared.
Larsen Bay, Alaska, United States
David Harmes, Joy Britt, Mandy Lindeberg

'It's like a war zone': Nun among 12 dead as flash flooding hits France
In what the local weather agency said was some of the worst flash floods the Aude river has seen in more than a century, the heavy rainfall brought the equivalent of up to seven months' rain fell in just a few hours.
Villegailhenc, Aude, France
ABC News

20°C in October, Autumn temperature records broken
October temperature records were broken on Sunday afternoon, with the mercury surpassing 20°C in many places, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
Ylivieska, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa, Finland

One killed as Wales battered by storms
Rivers burst their banks, homes were flooded and travel was impacted as Wales was battered by Storm Callum.
Wales, United Kingdom
BBC News

At least 34 dead after Uganda landslide
At least 34 people have been killed after a river in eastern Uganda burst its banks, sending thick sludge and rocks barreling into homes.
Bukalasi, Uganda
The Times of India

Magnitude of Storm Callum captured as Scots hit by landslides and 70mph winds
The stunning image from the University of Dundee shows the scale of the extreme weather engulfing the country. And it comes as heavy rain has caused further landslips delaying the reopening of the key roadways.
Scotland, United Kingdom
The Scottish Sun

European aspen still in summer foliage
Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland

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

Catching some hell; Hurricane Michael slams into Florida
Hurricane Michael slammed into the Florida Panhandle with terrifying winds of 155 mph Wednesday, splintering homes and submerging neighborhoods before continuing its destructive march inland across the Southeast.
Port Saint Joe, Florida, United States
AP NEWS

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.
Akureyri, Northeast, Iceland

Warm weather prompts migratory birds to extend stay in Finland
Unusually mild weather and foggy mornings have caused many migratory birds to delay their departure south, according to Birdlife Finland.
Muhos, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa, Finland

Officials Weighing Options As North Strabane Landslide Threatens More Homes
More rain fell over the weekend, which is adding to the urgency in North Strabane, where a landslide has led to the demolition of two homes.
Strabane, Pennsylvania, United States
KDKA

Whaling captain, crew member die in boating accident
The two men, who were both part of an active whaling crew, were in one of the boats on a towline, towing a whale to shore, when their boat flipped, according to fellow whalers who were there when it happened.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Arctic Sounder
Alaska Media, LLC., Steve Keller designer and application developer

Late blooming iris (Iris setosa) and lowbush cranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea)
During fall time, we only hand pick when the blackberries turn brown. As I was picking I saw this wild iris, like it bloomed just a few days ago. I was very awed to see this flower in October.
Toksook Bay, Alaska, United States

Powerful winds rock Baffin Island, sending debris flying through Iqaluit
Nunavut is bracing for another day where wind gusts could reach 140 km/h after severe weather sent debris flying through the streets of the territory's capital overnight.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

Vancouver temperatures hit an all-time record low yesterday
The low temperature in Vancouver hit a chilling 1.6°C, breaking an all-time low that's stood in place since 1937 when temperature gauges hit 2.8°C.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Daily Hive

Officials warn of potentially lethal levels of biotoxin in Bellingham Bay mussels
The Whatcom County Health Department is warning residents that PSP a common biotoxin is now at potentially lethal levels in mussels harvested in Bellingham Bay.
Bellingham, Washington, United States
Longview Daily News

Arctic communities won't get crucial supplies after barge cancelled due to excess sea ice
Three Arctic communities fear they've been cut off from crucial winter supplies and other necessities after a government-owned company cancelled an annual barge run.
Paulatuk, Kugluktuk, Cambridge Bay
Global News

Another minke whale washes ashore dead in Marshfield, adding to 'exceptional' year of die-offs
The whale washed up in the Brant Rock neighborhood, the second in the past two months.
Marshfield, Massachusetts, United States
masslive.com

Adult Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) Snatches a Seagull
Bald eagle feeds on seagull
Larsen Bay, Alaska, United States

Foam in Womens Bay
Sea foam collecting on the beach where it is not normally seen.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States

‘Mosquito-pocalypse’: North Carolina residents battle massive bugs after hurricane
Massive, aggressive mosquitoes are swarming North Carolina weeks after Hurricane Florence tore through the region.
Fayetteville, North Carolina, United States
Global News

Drought in a Rain Forest
The Tongass Forest in southeast Alaska, a temperate rain forest, is experiencing record-low precipitation and severe drought conditions, impacting community hydroelectricity production.
Metlakatla, Alaska, United States

Hot weather impacts growing conditions in Pakistan
Weather conditions including drought are effecting vegetation in Punjab and other areas of Pakistan.
Gojra, Punjab, Pakistan

Beetle damage skyrockets to nearly 1 million acres in Southcentral Alaska
The latest tally of beetle kill shows more than 550,000 acres of forest with dead spruce from the ongoing infestation this year alone, much of it in Mat-Su.
Knik-Fairview, Alaska, United States

Delphiniums (Delphinium glaucum) Growing Again
Delphiniums (*Delphinium glaucum*) are still growing late in to the season.
Grayling, Alaska, United States

Accelerating Erosion at Kincaid Beach
Erosion of Kincaid beach bluffs accelerated compared to previous years.

Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) off Haida Gwaii
An adult dark morph Red-footed Booby came into BC waters at 2pm on Sept 27-2018. He was first discovered on Sept 22-2018 by Kyle Brynjolfson, as it flew onto his commercial fishing vessel "La Porsche."
West of Haida Gwaii
BC Rare Bird Alert

Parasite found in walrus meat in Sanikiluaq, warns health department
A walrus has tested positive for trichinella, also known as “pork worm” in Sanikiluaq, Nunavut according to the territorial health department.
Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, Canada

Scientists stumble across endangered whale not seen in Canada in years
An endangered whale that has only been seen off Canada's west coast twice in the last 50 years has been seen alive and well in BC waters.
Canada's Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone
CTVNews

Record levels of toxic blue-green algae invade Lake Agawam in Southampton
Toxic blue-green algae were found in record levels in Southampton’s Lake Agawam earlier this month, capping a summer during which a dozen South Fork lakes and ponds were closed due to high levels of the harmful bacteria.
Southampton, New York, United States
Newsday

Beluga whale sighting in Britain’s River Thames
An off-course beluga whale was spotted splashing around near London, and Brits can’t quite believe it.
Gravesend, Kent, England, United Kingdom

Home break-ins by black bears surge in Connecticut suburbs
In recent months, bears have shredded a car’s interior, wandered into a liquor store, even woken residents in their own bedrooms.
Canton, Connecticut, United States
Associated Press

Across the Arctic, bubbling lakes are leaking carbon dioxide, methane and other dangerous greenhouse gases
Set against the austere peaks of the Western Brooks Range, the lake, looked like it was boiling. Its waters hissed, bubbled and popped as a powerful greenhouse gas escaped from the lake bed.
Western Brooks Range, Alaska
National Post

Investigating threats from invasive species in the Aleutians Islands
The results of the Plate Watch program only indicated one invasive species in the area, Caprella mutica, otherwise known as the Japanese skeleton shrimp.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States
Alaska Sea Grant

Another Southern Resident killer whale is losing body condition, and researchers are concerned about the pregnant females
Salish Sea
Candace Calloway Whiting

How much has this caribou herd dropped since 2001? 99 per cent
The George River caribou herd, which straddles Labrador and Quebec, is in a critical state, according to biologists.
Labrador City, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Seabirds found with more than 250 pieces of plastic lodged in their stomachs
Scientists examining the devastating impact plastics are having on the world's oceans have identified seabirds with more than 250 man made objects lodged in their stomachs.
The Telegraph

‘Rare September thunderstorm’ brews after fall’s first big windstorm hits Southcentral
Lightning strikes seen Monday in Cook Inlet and on the Kenai Peninsula were heading toward South Anchorage, a meteorologist said.

Nunavut hunter calls for changes to polar bear rules after fatal summer attacks
A hunter from Arviat says more polar bears seem to have no fear at all of human activity. He says recent human-polar bear conflicts have left hunters feeling scared and helpless to defend themselves.
Arviat, Nunavut, Canada

Spread of the Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum) into Southern Ontario
Welland, Ontario, Canada

Trash and a shortage of wild foods are creating a ‘perfect storm’ of bear trouble in Alaska cities
Black bears have taken over a Juneau arboretum, shut down a fish-cleaning facility in Cordova and added to an unusually high year of bear kills in Anchorage, prompting one wildlife authority to call this summer the "craziest" year of bear encounters he's seen.

Warmer Arctic waters attract surprising visitors: clams, fish and whales
Ice in the north Bering Sea is diminishing, researchers aboard a Coast Guard ship report.

Unusually warm weather ‘obliterating’ September records in Anchorage, while dry streak continues
You're not imagining things: September's weather has been one for the record books, for both the warm weather and unusual streak of sunny days.

Dead and dying birds rain down in unexplained occurrence in B.C. community
A British Columbia man who witnessed dozens of birds falling from the sky just south of Vancouver says he was horrified by the sight.
Tsawwassen, British Columbia, Canada
National Post

Edmonton on way to new snowfall record for Sept. 21
Edmonton is on its way to the snowiest Sept. 21 since 1968, perhaps not what people wanted to see on the last full day of summer, says Dan Kulak, meteorologist with Environment Canada.
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

A veil of spider webs is taking over entire town
The phenomenon is rare, although the webs have appeared before in other parts of the country. According to arachnologist Maria Chatzaki, they are always from the same type of spider: the Tetragnatha genus, a tiny critter no longer than 2 centimeters, or 0.7 inches.
Aitoliko, West Greece, Greece
WTAE

Angry Canadian crabs invade coast of Maine
While their main target appears to be the region's soft-shell clam population, they're also munching through acres of eelgrass, a native flowering plant that shelters and nourishes life under the sea.
Coastal Maine, United States
Mother Nature Network

87 days of smog: Southern California just saw its longest streak of bad air in decades
Southern California went 87 days without a clean air day, the longest stretch of consecutive ozone pollution violations in at least 20 years. Regulators blame the persistence in pollution on hot, stagnant weather and are studying whether climate change is driving it.
Los Angeles, California, United States
latimes.com

A 300-metre-long spiderweb has been woven in Greece
There's nothing for humans to worry about. Gnats, on the other hand...
Aitoliko, West Greece, Greece

Late-blooming Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium)
Fireweed blooming in mid-late September after other plants have gone to seed.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States

Another Landslide Hits The Philippines
At least 15 people are dead and dozens more are missing.
Naga City, Naga, Philippines
New York Times

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

The sea around Denmark hit by marine heat waves
Waters are up to eight degrees warmer waters than normal. DTU Aqua is conducting research into the impact of climate change on marine fauna and flora.
Skagerrak
DTU Aqua

Discolored Spruce (Picea sitchensi) in Seldovia
Spruce branch girdling causing discoloration in tree.
Seldovia, Alaska, United States

Mass die-off of clams fouls Revere Beach
The Division of Marine Fisheries is analyzing the clams and expects to have preliminary results in the coming days that might point to a cause.
Revere, Massachusetts, United States
The Boston Globe

Discolored Spruce (Picea sitchensis) Trees
Discolored spruce (*Picea sitchensis*) needles

For methane researcher, golf course bubbles are a first
“It’s an area that I and some other colleagues have started thinking about: can you get methane forming in terrestrial environments? But it’s a very new area of science,” carbon scientist Katey Walter Anthony said.
Ravenna Koenig, Alaska's Energy Desk - Fairbanks

Calls of bear sightings are up around Juneau. But why?
Last year, Fish and Game and the Juneau Police Department received roughly 470 calls about bear activity. By the end of August this year, they had already fielded more than 600.

Denver extends heat wave record for September with ninth consecutive 90-degree day
Denver's hot weather keeps on sizzling, tying a record for consecutive 90-degree days in September.
Denver, Colorado, United States
The Denver Post

Quebec farm under quarantine after animal with chronic wasting disease discovered in Laurentians
This is the first time CWD, which affects the nervous systems of deer and elk and has no known cure, has been discovered in the province.
Quebec, Canada

You're not imagining it — September is colder than usual in Yellowknife
According to Environment Canada, not even halfway through September, Yellowknife has already broken cold records for three days.

Sheriff: toxic algae suspected in dog’s death, 6 other dogs falling ill
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office believes a toxic algae bloom is to blame for killing one dog and making six others sick.
Stuart, Florida, United States
WSVN

Thousands of Pacific walruses again herd up on Alaska coast
Walruses over the last decade have come to shore on the Alaska and Russia sides of the Chukchi Sea as sea ice diminishes because of global warming.
Point Lay, Alaska, United States

Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris) in Lund/Powell River
At 12pm on Sept 13-2018, while kayaking; Ken Wright found a 3rd cycle Black-tailed Gull near Lund. The bird was resting on Major Islet whic...
Powell River, British Columbia, Canada
BC Rare Bird Alert

'Absolutely abysmal': Alberta farmers lament early arrival of snow in harvest season
Farmers in Edmonton and into northern Alberta, still have plenty of crop out on the fields and the early arrival of winter conditions does not bode well for harvest season.
Gibbons, Alberta, Canada
Edmonton Journal

Ticks arriving in Yukon as stowaways
Yukon's animal health unit says there were four ticks found on people and pets in the territory this summer. Lab results revealed three different species of ticks including the rocky mountain wood tick and the American dog tick — are not found in Yukon.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Low Coastal Cloud Ceiling on Landing
White, puffy, clouds unusually close to the land.
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States

Salmon fishing closes on large stretch of Columbia
The counts of fall Chinook at Bonneville Dam are 29 percent below preseason forecasts, and ongoing fisheries are approaching the allowable catch limits under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Columbia River, Washington, United States
The Columbian

33.48 tons of dead fish collected in Pinellas County as red tide bloom lingers
Red tide is officially impacting Pinellas County. Crews have picked up a total of 33.48 tons of dead fish and hauled them off to the county dump.
Madeira Beach, Florida, United States
WFTS

Coyote believed first sighted in Beaufort Delta region since 1974
A coyote caught on camera in the Richardson Mountain range is the first spotted in the region in decades, a wildlife biologist says.
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada

High And Dry: Swiss Army Airlifts Water To Cows In Drought-Stricken Mountains
Water scarcity and heat are threatening two of Switzerland's main agricultural products: milk and cheese. But the shortage affects far more than cows — Swiss glaciers also feed Europe's major rivers.
Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland
NPR.org

Scientists baffled by number of whale deaths on the coasts of Scotland and Ireland
Scientists are baffled by a wave of whale deaths - which saw more carcasses wash up on the coasts of Scotland and Ireland in the past month than in the previous decade.
Scotland & Ireland
The Scotsman

When Heavy Rain, Erosion and Gravity Cause the Earth to Give Way
In the mountainous areas like western Pennsylvania and West Virginia, heavy rainfall is not just a hassle, but can lead to problems exacerbated by the region’s constrained topography.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Route Fifty

Russian salmon fishermen dumping excess catch
Salmon harvesters in the Far East parts of Russia have landed so much fish that they have begun to dump some of their excess catch wherever they can, forcing the region to confront an epidemic of rancid, rotting salmon.
Kamchatka, Russia
Moscow Times

DOT officials puzzle over soggy ground – with no recent rain – at site of Seward Highway landslide
State transportation workers found wet ground may have contributed to the small landslide, despite the lack of recent rain.

Seaweed Takes Over Popular Beach at the Grand Turk Cruise Center
Sargassum Seaweed has invaded the beach at the Grand Turk cruise center which is popular with cruise ship passengers.
Cockburn Town, Turks and Caicos Islands
Cruise Hive

Prickly Rose (Rosa acicularis) in Bloom WAY Out of Season
Prickly rose plant is blooming when others have gone to hips.

Shellfish Warning
Crescent City, California, United States

Shooting of bear highlights ‘infestation’ in Cordova after poor salmon returns
Residents speculate the black bears are venturing into town because they're hungry, after a poor run of pink salmon and rainy weather that hurt the abundance of berries, limiting food for the animals.
Cordova, Alaska, United States

Indian Summer: Unusually Warm September
Unusually warm September temperatures.
Nelson Lagoon, Alaska, United States

Residents of Aklavik spotting more grizzly bears in town
About 10 grizzly bears have been living at the community dump in Aklavik, N.W.T., this summer. Arey said a couple of bears were destroyed earlier this summer, but said more may need to be killed as residents are still seeing the bears coming into the community near homes.
Aklavik, Northwest Territories, Canada

Late-blooming Clover (Trifolium pratense L.?) or Perhaps Second Bloom?
"They are extremely fresh-looking, as if it were the springtime."

Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) in Kelowna
At 4:30pm on Sept 9-2018, 15 year old Kalin Ocana found a female Orchard Oriole at Munson Pond. The bird was sitting in the grass at this l...
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
BC Rare Bird Alerts

Unusual September weather pattern brings sunshine to Southcentral Alaska
“We typically don’t see this type of pattern in September,” an Anchorage meteorologist said. Anchorage's record high temperature was broken on both Friday and Saturday.

Sargassum harasses South Florida during worst seaweed assault on record
South Florida beaches faced a sargassum assault this summer that some scientists believe is part of the largest spread of the nomadic marine weed on record, and one that could continue through September.
Palm Beach, Florida, United States
Palm Beach Post

Was it a tornado? Power outages persist from yesterday’s storm
Brunswick schools are closed today and CMP crews are out 'in full force' after Thursday's brief but intense thunderstorm.
Brunswick, Maine, United States
Press Herald

Hundreds of Seals Are Dying on the New England Coast
Deaths of gray and harbor seals, in much greater numbers than usual, have been attributed to viruses related to distemper and the flu.
Isles of Shoals, United States
New York Times

Changing ice conditions clear way for historic fuel delivery by barge to Alaska's North Slope
An Alaska company says changing ice conditions in the North Slope area have allowed it to make a bulk fuel delivery to Prudhoe Bay by barge for the first time.
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States

Bald Eagle Pairs (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) Abandoned Nests
Bald eagles (*Haliaeetus leucocephalus*) disappeared from usual nesting spot.

16th Arctic-based emergency of the year involved, fog, ice, and a sinking sailboat
The men became trapped on August 29th in the ice and their vessel began to sink. They activated their emergency radio beacon and abandoned the sailboat.

Rare sighting of lone Brown Pelican in Oak Bay waters
Bird is uncharacteristically alone and far from home
Oak Bay, British Columbia, Canada
Victoria News

Toronto beats temperature record as students swelter in schools without AC
Students and teachers at hundreds of Toronto schools without air conditioning sweltered their way through record-breaking heat on Wednesday, as the city’s largest school board said it understood why some parents might choose to keep their children at home.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
CTVNews

Irish summer heatwave sees Shannon record hottest day in over 70 years
Ireland's highest temperature was reported at Shannon Airport, Co Clare on June 28 reaching a high of 32.0 °C, its highest since 1946. The summer of 2018 will be remembered for the scorching heatwave and drought conditions that affected the whole country.
Shannon, Clare County, Ireland
The Irish Sun

Gulf of Maine Water Temperatures Soar Near Record Highs After Ocean 'Heat Wave'
NOAA and NASA satellites measured an average sea-surface temperature of 68.93 degrees Fahrenheit in the Gulf of Maine on Aug. 8, only 0.05 degrees below the all-time record high of 68.98 set in 2012. It is the epicenter of the U.S. lobster fishing industry, an important feeding ground for rare North Atlantic right whales .
Gulf of Maine
The Weather Channel

May-August period was the warmest on record in Finland, says FMI
It was the hottest summer in the 174-year history of weather records in Helsinki, and the second hottest in the 118-year history of the weather station in Sodankylä, Lapland.
Finland
Helsinki Times

Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) in Campbell River
Guy Monty and Mark Wynja photographed a Common Ringed Plover at Oyster Bay on Sept 5-2018. They were there to view a reported Buff-breasted...
Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
BC Rare Bird Alert

Erie records record-high temperature of 93 Wednesday
The 93-degree temperature was recorded at 2:13 p.m.
Erie, Pennsylvania, United States
GoErie.com

Squirrel population surges in Northeast, as does roadkill
Biologists say plentiful food and other conditions are helping the rodents to thrive, and now the young ones are hitting the road.
Cape Neddick, Maine, United States
Press Herald

Dawson City had wettest August in 54 years
According to Environment Canada’s senior climatologist David Phillips, it was the third-wettest August in Dawson since records began in 1897.
Dawson, Yukon, Canada

Small Deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis) Found with Signs of Injury or Illness
Small, approachable, deer found with possible broken jaw, discolored saliva, and injury on hindquarter.

Poaching: Almost 90 elephants dead in biggest ever slaughter in Africa
Botswana's 2018 Wildlife Aerial Survey has revealed large-scale poaching of the country's elephants with conservationists saying so far, 87 carcasses have been found.
The South African

Farmed Salmon Caught in Icelandic Rivers
Three farmed salmon have been caught in the Westfjords this season. Farmed salmon have a tendency to swim up rivers later in the season than wild salmon, meaning the true number of escapees may not be apparent until the end of the fishing season.
Isafjordur, Westfjords, Iceland

Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) mortality from drought stress
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

After 3 days, ‘stressed’ sea lion that ventured into Sitka can’t find its way back to the ocean
Why did the sea lion cross the road? Scientists don't know yet.

Indigenous reindeer herders request emergency aid after drought, wildfires
The Swedish Saami Association is demanding a comprehensive aid package from Stockholm after a season of unprecedented drought and wildfire ravaged the country, including key reindeer grazing areas.
Swedish Sapmi
RCI | English

Pod of Pilot Whales Unexpectedly Spotted in Westfjords
A marine biologist at the Marine and Freshwater Research institute who specializes in whales says that it’s rare for pilot whales to venture so far north, but said that it’s possible that the pilot whales' appearance in Iceland’s waters can be credited to warming ocean temperatures.
Isafjordur, Westfjords, Iceland

Tons Of Dead Fish Washing Ashore On Florida Beaches
Southwest Florida is reeling from a toxic algae bloom called red tide. Hundreds of tons of dead fish are washing up on beaches.
Bradenton, Florida, United States
NPR.org

Severe Bank Erosion from Permafrost Thaw
Thawing and eroding is destroying river bank, impacting access, threatening infrastructure, and causing safety concerns.
Selawik, Alaska, United States

Boston breaks temperature record
The temperature at Logan International Airport rose to 97 degrees shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday, topping a record set in 1953.
Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Fewer Summer Insects
I started looking for insects months ago only to find them significantly absent from this area.
Marietta, Georgia, United States

Nunavut hunter killed by polar bear and cub
A man from Nunavut has been killed in a polar bear attack, according to local RCMP. A polar bear mother and cub were destroyed at the scene. This is the second fatal polar bear attack in Nunavut this summer
Naujaat, Nunavut

Late Blooming Rose (Rosa acicularis) Documented in Newspaper
Front page of the Daily News-Miner documents a late blooming rose during a colder than average August.

Survivor recalls deadly encounter with polar bears
A Nunavut hunter who survived a polar bear attack that killed one of his friends last week says the encounter started when a mother bear and her cub approached their camp.
Nunavut, Canada

Bears are coming into Whitehorse looking for berries
The problem is that there just aren't many wild berries this year in southern Yukon. Bears are typically feasting on soap berries and cranberries this time of year, as they try to fatten up before winter.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Maine heat flirts with the record books, disrupting some school schedules
Temperatures in southern Maine topped 90 degrees Tuesday and are expected to do the same Wednesday, prompting school officials to dismiss students early and cancel sports practices, and sending people flocking to beaches.
Portland, Maine, United States
Press Herald

Hawaii’s rain from Hurricane Lane, topping 50 inches, is among most extreme in U.S. records
The total amount of rain, measured in feet, soared to historic levels: Over four feet or 52.02 inches were measured on Mountain View, about 15 miles southwest of Hilo.
Hilo, Hawaii, United States

Giant 50,000 pound whale washes up on beach shore
Scientists are working to find the cause of death of a massive 50,000 pound whale that washed up on shore.
Duxbury, Massachusetts, United States
ABC13 Houston

Red sunset in store as North American wildfire smoke spreads across Finland
Seija Paasonen has been tracking the patterns of the North American forest fires for several weeks now. She says that the smoke has traveled as far as Europe owing to wind patterns in the upper atmosphere.
Kainuu, Finland

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

Record Numbers Of Beaked Whale Deaths Cause Alarm
The IWDG says a minimum of 16 beaked whale deaths were recorded along the North West coast of Ireland from Galway to Donegal between 3 and 22 August, 2018.
Galway, Ireland
Afloat.ie

More than 1,000 dead fish at Malibu Lagoon may be tied to record-warm ocean temperatures
California State Parks scientists are running tests this week to determine what caused about 1,500 fish to die in Malibu Lagoon last week, but officials suspect higher-than-normal water temperatures may have played a role.
Malibu, California
latimes.com

2nd right whale death of year reported off of Massachusetts
A member of a species of critically endangered whale that is struggling with poor reproduction has been found dead off of Massachusetts.
Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts, United States
Associated Press

Rare Walrus Sighting in East Iceland
A lone hiker in East Iceland found a wandering walrus, and managed to snap some fantastic photos.
Isafjordur, Westfjords, Iceland

'No grass': Europe's livestock sector stricken by drought
Mediterranean countries long ago adapted their farming practices to little rain, but this year it is the north of Europe confronting a widespread drought that could see farmers having to send much of their herds to slaughter due to a lack of feed.
Northern Europe
YAHOO!

Spruce Rust (Chrysomyxa ledicola) Appearing on Spruce Trees (Picea mariana)
The spruce along the highway between mile 157 and 162 show signs of stress, the tips of the branches are orangish and the deep green of the trees are fading.
Slana, Alaska, United States

Full report: Damage exceeds $100 million as Madison area braces for more rain, flooding in wake of this week's massive deluge
Record-setting rainfall caused massive flooding in Dane County that killed a man, washed out roads and bridges and heavily damaged property.
Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Wisconsin State Journal

Investigators, experts ask questions after ship grounded in Arctic
Investigators are on their way to Kugaaruk, Nunavut, after a passenger boat ran aground in the area.
Kugaaruk, Nunavut, Canada

Tests find dead seals had avian flu and distemper viruses
Many of the dead seals that washed ashore in northern New England in the past few weeks tested positive for either avian influenza or phocine distemper virus, but it is still too soon to say if those viruses are the primary causes of the unusual die-off.
Portland, Maine, United States
Lewiston Sun Journal

Reindeer herders say that if they don't get emergency funding, the animals may starve to death
“This is about the survival of the reindeer, and of Sami culture, which depends on them,” said Niila Inga, chair of the Swedish Sami Association.
Dikanäs, Västerbottens län, Sweden
Newsweek

High River Water Overflow
Heavy spring precipitation leads to strong river flow, sweeping away cabin and fish rack.

Bracing for Lane: County, state prepare as significant rain, flooding and high winds are expected from hurricane - Hawaii Tribune-Herald
President Trump approved Gov. David Ige’s request for a disaster declaration Wednesday as powerful Hurricane Lane spiraled closer to Hawaii.
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Hawaii Tribune-Herald

Nine Whales Stranded in Eastfjords
Nine whales have been stranded so far this year in East Iceland. Bottlenose whales and Curvier’s beaked whales are members of the family Ziphiidae and it’s often been said that they are more sensitive to noise pollution in the ocean.

New England Seals Test Positive for Avian Flu and Distemper
Preliminary results suggest that avian flu and/or phocine distemper virus may be contributing to the elevated seal strandings in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts since June 1, 2018.
Lewiston, Maine, United States
NOAA

Drought has volunteers walking Cowichan Lake area’s dry rivers and creek-beds looking for stranded fish fry
Plans are underway for raising the weir: a reflection of widespread concern, says Ken Traynor
Cowichan Lake Area, British Columbia, Canada
Lake Cowichan Gazette

Hot, arid summer guts a third of Sweden's cereal harvest
An unusually dry, hot summer means Sweden will see smaller yields of crops like wheat, barley and oats.
Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden
Eye on the Arctic

McCarthy Road reopened after being rocked by mudslide
Rain caused mudslides are affecting roads in the southeastern Interior. The Alaska Department of Transportation reports that the McCarthy Road was shut down by a slide last night. Listen now
McCarthy, Alaska, United States

White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) in Port Renfrew
A White-winged Dove was photographed at the Port Renfrew Marina at 11:57 am on August 22-2018 but was misidentified as a Band-tailed Pigeon...
Port Renfrew, British Columbia, Canada

Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) near Malcolm Island
Gord Curry and Ted Down found an adult Brown Booby sitting on a log in Queen Charlotte Strait, NW of Pultney Point Lighthouse on Malcolm Island, while they were fishing.
Queen Charlotte Strait

‘Atmospheric river’ from the tropics pours rain on Southcentral Alaska
Days of rain have triggered flooding in Cordova and slowed drivers on the Taylor Highway and McCarthy Road.
Cordova, Alaska, United States

Arctic’s strongest sea ice breaks up for first time on record
The oldest and thickest sea ice in the Arctic has started to break up, opening waters north of Greenland that are normally frozen. This phenomenon – which has never been recorded before – has occurred twice this year due to warm winds and a climate-change driven heatwave in the northern hemisphere.
Northern Greenland

Damage widespread, 1 dead after record rainfall causes flash flooding in Dane County
An epic rainfall swept one man to his death, washed out bridges, swamped homes, cars and businesses, and marooned dozens of shoppers overnight at a Middleton discount store Monday.
Madison, Wisconsin, United States
madison.com
BILL NOVAK, ROB SCHULTZ and CHRIS HUBBUCH Wisconsin State Journal

Northernmost American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) Observation on iNaturalist
The American Bullfrog is native to the Eastern United States and southern maritime provinces of Canada. It has famously spread west and now north in recent decades.
Inland Lake Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada
iNaturalist.org

6.4 earthquake was the strongest ever recorded in region
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake rattled a remote region of Alaska's North Slope southeast of Prudhoe Bay Sunday morning. The state seismologist called it the biggest quake ever recorded in the region.
Kaktovik, Alaska, United States
Arctic Sounder

New Mexico plateau named for birds seeing them die off
A 10-year study on the Pajarito Plateau shows a 73 percent decrease in abundance and a 45 percent decrease in variety of species.
Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States
Santa Fe New Mexican

Rare snowfall reported in Uruguay
Brazilian and North American meteorologists both agreed it was snow that was seen falling in parts of Uruguay on Sunday, August 19, 2018. Since Uruguay is located within the temperate zone of the tropic of Capricorn, the country has warm summers and ...
Uruguay
The Watchers - Daily news service | Watchers.NEWS

Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus) Sighting in Utqiaġvik
Unusual Stellar sea lion (*Eumetopias jubatus*) sighting in Utqiaġvik.

Rare Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) Sighting
Wood frog sighted on trail.
Ester, Alaska, United States

A summer without insect stings
Fewer wasp and mosquito interactions in Anchorage in 2018 than typical.

NOAA survey shows shocking lack of thermal barrier between northern and southern Bering Sea
The “thermal curtain” is another expression for “cold pool” that acts as a barrier to keep some species—pollock and Pacific cod, for example — from migrating across the eastern Bering Sea shelf and northward toward the Bering Strait. For the first time in 37 years of surveying the Bering Sea, we could not find the cold water barrier.
Diomede, Alaska, United States

Unidentified Beetle Pupa Found Near River Bank
Unidentified beetle pupa found near camp on a river bank.
St. Mary's, Alaska, United States

Race against time: Engineers use Apex River to refill Iqaluit's water supply
Stantec engineering designed the plans for pumping water from the Apex River to Lake Geraldine, the city's reservoir, which has lower water levels than in years past.

Hundreds Killed as Kerala, India, Hit by Worst Floods Since 1920s
Torrential rains left at least 324 people dead, and hundreds of thousands more have been made homeless.
Kerala, India

Thick smoke in the Alberni Valley, lasting days
Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada

B.C. declares state of emergency as hundreds of wildfires burn across province
The British Columbia government has declared a state of emergency to support the provincewide response to the ongoing wildfire situation.
British Columbia, Canada

Over 30 dead harbor seals wash ashore in southern Maine in 2 days
Marine mammal experts are testing tissue samples for a potential common cause of the surge in carcasses found on the state's beaches this year.
Saco, Maine, United States

High Concentrations of PCB in blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) sample
High concentrations of Polychlorinated Biphenyls found in blue mussels.
Dutch Harbor, Alaska, United States

Alaska seabird die-off continues for another summer
Carcasses examined so far have shown no indication of disease, and tests are pending for harmful algal toxins. Seabirds have been found emaciated and starved, and changed ocean conditions may have affected prey.
Gambell, Alaska, United States

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

Unusual Grasshopper Sighting
Grasshopper seen in area with typically few sightings
Seldovia, Alaska, United States

Typically-tropical great egret nests in Finland for first time
Sightings of great egrets have been reported for decades, but sightings this summer confirm the first time the species has nested in Finland.
Porvoo, Uusimaa, Finland

Ship Creek Almost Dry
We have visited this creek every summer for 10 years, since 2008, including every August, and we have never seen the water this low.
Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada
Phoebe Okey-Dobie, Theo Okolowicz, Tom Okey

Cruise ship exhaust prompts complaints to state authorities
Exhaust emissions from a Norwegian Cruise Line vessel docking in Juneau prompted at least 10 complaints to an Alaska regulatory agency.

State reroutes Dalton Highway to protect motorists from migrating ‘blob’
Transportation engineers moved the road to avoid a giant mass of frozen debris sliding downhill.
Livengood, Alaska, United States

The seaweed deluge hitting Caribbean shores
Sargassum, a type of seaweed, is creating problems as it washes up across the Caribbean.
Caribbean Shores
BBC News

Few complaints as heat decimates Finland’s mosquitoes
There are unusually low numbers of mosquitoes throughout Finland this sweltering summer – and likely fewer than usual next year as well.
Rovaniemi, Lappi, Finland

Fraser River is now so warm it may kill migrating sockeye salmon
Sockeye salmon are migrating up B.C.'s Fraser River right now, but the water is so warm the fish may die before they have the chance to spawn.
Fraser River, British Columbia, Canada

San Diego's Scripps Pier records highest ocean temperature in its 102-year history
The high temperatures might be left over from the warm-water "blob" off California in 2014.
La Jolla, California, United States

Poison Lake fire closes section of Yukon's Robert Campbell Highway
The government banned campfires Friday at the Watson Lake, Simpson Lake, Frances Lake and Big Creek territorial campgrounds in southeast Yukon. Fire danger ratings remain extreme or high for most of the territory.
Watson Lake, Yukon, Canada

Portugal breaks temperature records as Europe swelters under heatwave
Eight places in Portugal broke local temperature records Friday as a wave of heat from North Africa swept across the Iberian peninsula — and officials predicted the scorching temperatures could get even worse over the weekend.
Abrantes, Santarém, Portugal
CBC News

Flooding fears spark evacuations in US city
Authorities warn 17ft of water could hit Lynchburg in Virginia in minutes if a dam overspills.
Lynchburg, Tennessee, United States

Bottlenose Whales Spotted in Northern and Eastern Fjords
An unusually high number of northern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus) have been sighted in fjords in North and East Iceland.
Þórshöfn, Northeast, Iceland

Blue-green algae confirmed as cause of dogs' sudden deaths
Necropsy results show blue-green algae caused the deaths of three dogs playing near the St. John River more than a week ago.
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada

Sweden’s Tallest Peak Shrinks in Record Heat
Soaring temperatures are melting snow and ice from Kebnekaise’s southern peak, making the northern part of the mountain Sweden’s highest point.
Kebnekaise, Kiruna, Sweden

Toxic algae bloom closes beach at state park in Northern NY
The beach at a state park in upstate New York has been closed because of a toxic algae bloom.
Moreau Lake, New York, United States
WCAX

Algae bloom closes part of Lake Micmac to people, dogs
Algae blooms may produce toxins that can cause mild to severe health problems, says Cameron Deacoff, an environmental performance officer with the municipality.
Lake Micmac, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

90 percent of Lake Okeechobee smothered in blue-green algae bloom
EUMETSAT satellite shows blue-green algae bloom covering Lake Okeechobee.
Lake Okeechobee, Florida, United States
TCPalm

Devastating drought, heat wave hammer farmers across northern Europe
Farmers in around a dozen countries across northern Europe — from Ireland to the Baltics — are grappling with a once-in-a-generation drought.
Nykøbing Sjælland, Zealand, Denmark
NBC News

Record-breaking heat leaves 29 dead in South Korea
As many as 29 people have died due to heatstroke in South Korea, according to the South Korean Ministry of Health, Welfare and Disease Control.
Seoul, South Korea
WFMZ
JUNGEUN KIM, JENNIFER KIM AND EUAN MCKIRDY, CNN

Record Arctic heat drives reindeer into cool tunnels
The region is so hot that it has experienced 12 "tropical" nights with evening temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius so far this year, according to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute.
Finnmark, Norway
The Local

Possible algae bloom turns seawater red off Juneau
The overriding theory is that it's a bloom of algae brought on by rising water temperatures.

Blue-green algae bloom in Desbarats Lake
Not all blooms are harmful but some types can make humans and animals sick when breathed-in, swallowed or touched
Desbarats Lake, Ontario, Canada
SooToday.com

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

Algae in LaBelle: A second round of algal blooms on the way?
As the Southwest Florida community works to clean toxic algae from waterways, some are seeing signs that a second round could be headed their direction. “Unfortunately it looks likes like a repeat of what we saw last time,” said Mark Richey of North Fort Myers. Just seven weeks ago, the WINK News Drone showed a …
LaBelle, Florida, United States
WINK NEWS

3 men sentenced for wading in river with feeding bears at Katmai
One of the men was caught on a livestream camera wading into Brooks Falls and taking a selfie in front of the bears.

Blue-green algae bloom in Heritage Lake
Alberta Health Services has issued a health advisory for Heritage Lake, near Morinville, until further notice. Blue-green algae blooms have been Alberta Health Services has issued a health advisory for Heritage Lake, near Morinville, until further notice.
Heritage Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada
St. Albert Gazette

Snow and hail blanket southern Alberta highway — in July
Highway 22 in southern Alberta was blanketed in what looked like snow but was probably hail, making roads slick and slow.
Sparwood, British Columbia, Canada

Hatzic Lake closed following reports of dead fish, discoloured water
Swimmers have reported feeling nausea, itchy skin and irritated eyes after vising the popular lake.
Hatzic Lake, British Columbia, Canada
CTV News Vancouver

Spruce Rust (Chrysomyxa ledicola) Found on Kuskokwim River Bank
Spruce rust (*Chrysomyxa ledicola*) fungal spores found along the banks on the Kuskokwim River
Red Devil, Alaska, United States

Algae blooms closes Moreau Lake swimming beach
MOREAU - The Moreau Lake State Park swimming beach has been closed due to an algal bloom causing potential health hazards, a spokesman for the state Officer Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation said Wednesday.
The beach was closed Tuesday afternoon as a precaution, said Dan Keefe, a spokesman for State Parks in Albany.
Moreau Lake, New York, United States
Times Union

Blue-green algae blooms sighted in Lac La Nonne, Peanut Lake
Alberta Health Services (AHS) issued two advisories last week regarding blue-green algae blooms in Peanut Lake and Lac La Nonne. Blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, is a naturally-occurring photosynthetic organism that often becomes visible when weather conditions are calm. Appearing as scum, fuzz, grass clippings or globs on the surface of water, blue-green algae
Lac La Nonne, Alberta, Canada
Barrhead Leader

Massive Arrival of Sargasso Weed
Mexico, Jul 30 (Prensa Latina) The massive arrival of sargasso on the coasts of Quintana Roo, one of Mexico's main tourist centers, is causing concern among tourists, researchers, authorities, businessmen and residents.
Quintana Roo, Mexico
Prensa Latina

Swedish town on the frontline of the Arctic wildfires
A sleepy Lapland fire station is calling in help from all corners to fight the unprecedented wildfires sweeping the region.
Jokkmokk, Norrbottens län, Sweden
The Guardian

New Brunswickers reminded about potential health risk of blue-green algae
The warning from New Brunswick's chief medical officer of health comes less than a week after three dogs died as a result of what is suspected to be a blue-green algae bloom.
Saint John River, New Brunswick, Canada

Florida Algae Blooms Send People to Hospital, Kill Marine Wildlife
Nearly 4,000 dead fish were counted on Sanibel area beaches and parks.
Saint Lucie River, Florida, United States
The Weather Channel

Whale-dolphin hybrid species discovered off coast of Hawaii
A rare whale-dolphin hybrid species has been discovered off the coast of Hawaii, scientists say. The animal is the first-ever documented offspring of a rough-toothed dolphin and the rare melon-headed whale, a team from the Cascadia Research Collective concluded in a report released this week.
Kaua'i, Hawaii, United States
The Independent

Wildfire 'tornado' destroyed 500 structures, killed 2
A local firefighter who was killed fighting a fast-moving wildfire was identified Friday as crews continued to battle the blaze in Redding, California.
Redding, California, United States
USA TODAY

Scientists puzzled by right whale's appearance off Iceland
But an Icelandic whale-watching crew spotted the right whale named Mogul three times this week, leaving a research scientist wondering why the animal ventured so far.

Nearly 300 Sea Turtles Dead as Red Tide Plagues Southwest Florida
Hundreds of sea turtles have washed up dead along the southwest Florida coast as an ongoing red tide event persists in the waters. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has logged 287 sea turtle deaths since the virulent algal bloom started in October, the Associated Press reported.
Southwest Florida coast, United States
EcoWatch

Vegetable prices spiking because of heatwave
Vegetable prices are rising rapidly in Japan after a deadly heatwave saw highs of more than 40C. Record-breaking temperatures triggered a spike in the cost of some foods with increases of up to 65 per cent.  An agriculture ministry official in Tokyo warned about "pretty severe price moves" for vegetables if predictions of more weeks of hot weather held up, resulting in less rain than usual.
Japan, 東京都東京都
The Independent

Red-brown algae blooms spotted in Puget Sound
If you see something that looks like tomato soup in Puget Sound, here's why.
Puget Sound, Washington, United States
KING

After deadly wildfires, floods hit Greek capital
Firefi­ghters say around 160 reside­nts have been briefl­y trappe­d in their homes due to the floodi­ng
Ekali, Αττικη, Greece
The Express Tribune

Algae blooms disrupt Cape Coral canals with foul odor, green spray-paint look
Algae blooms have infiltrated much of the Cape Coral canal system, creating a foul odor and a green, spray-paint tint to some of the water.
Cape Coral, Florida, United States
The News-Press

Wildfire smoke from as far as Ontario and Siberia affecting air quality
Seniors, children and people with chronic health issues are advised to stay indoors and use air conditioning where possible.
British Columbia, Canada
CKNW

Wildfires Kill Dozens Near Athens
They've forced evacuations of popular beach towns just outside the city.
Rafina, Αττικη, Greece
Condé Nast Traveler

Wildfires in Idaho: Highway 55 fire grows to 3,500 acres; 423 battling fire near Riggins
Numerous large wildfires are burning around Idaho. The Rattlesnake Creek Fire south of Riggins and the Milemarker 73-Idaho 55 Fire north of Horseshoe Bend are causing significant hazards for residents, travelers and firefighters.
Riggins, Idaho, United States
Idaho Statesman

Wave after wave of garbage hits the Dominican Republic
The images are shocking, but perhaps not for people who live in the Dominican Republic.'It happens pretty much all the time,' says Cyrill Gutsch
Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
National Post

With 28 fires out of control, Ontario gets help from U.S., Mexico, other provinces
Crews fighting forest fires in northern Ontario are receiving help from other provinces, the U.S. and Mexico as they try to contain several blazes after days of hot and humid weather.
Hartley Bay, Ontario, Canada

Ontario's dry weather has mice looking for a way into houses
The drought gripping the Ottawa area isn't just burning grass and stunting corn crops. Mice are increasingly finding their way into homes and apartment buildings in search of water.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Decomposed whale washes up on Old Orchard Beach, draws crowd
The smelly carcass, identified as that of an adult male minke whale, is the second large marine animal to turn up on shore in southern Maine in the past week.
Old Orchard Beach, Maine, United States

Wildfires rage in Lapland, more threaten Finland from the east
Grass and forest fires are proving difficult to contain in Finnish Lapland, and now several fires on the Russian side of the border are moving into Finland.
Kittilä, Lappi, Finland

Sun blanked out in Arctic Siberia
Locals in north of Yakutia said daylight was completely gone for several hours. After the sun returned, locals found thick layer of dust covering everything outside.
North Yakutia, Russia
Siberian Times

Melting of glacier causes flash floods in Pakistan's north
Pakistani officials say the melting of a glacier has unleashed landslides and floods in the country’s northern district of Ghizer, inundating dozens of homes and displacing hundreds of people. Mohammad Khalid, a local police official, said Friday that authorities are sending relief supplies to the flood-hit villages.
Peshawar, N.W.F.P., Pakistan
AP News

Heavy rain causes flash flooding, more rainfall expected
Rainfalls of unprecedented intensity caused flash floods in several parts of the country and serious flooding in Bayan-Ulgii, Selenge and Tuv aimag.
Selenge, Mongolia
MONTSAME News Agency

Milky Blue Water Near Prince of Wales Island
Warmer waters likely enabled a phytoplankton bloom to occur much later in the year than normal off the coast of Alaska and British Columbia.
Craig, Alaska, United States

Polar Bears Appear Where They Never Were Before
Polar bears have been rummaging through science camps at the top of Greenland's ice sheet far inland, where they were never expected, and Polar bears are coming into communities more often these days, says Kristin Laidre, a marine biologist at the University of Washington’s Polar Science Center, and an authority on polar bear populations in Greenland. “It’s happening all over the Arctic, and it’s something that’s only going to be an increasing problem as we continue to lose sea ice,” she says.
Summit Camp, Greenland
National Geographic

Salmon numbers continue to drop in Newfoundland rivers
DFO science recommends closing salmon rivers to retention angling for remainder of season.
Newfoundland, Canada

Glacier melt creates artificial lake in Gilgit
A small glacier melt has swollen Barsuwat Nullah in the Ishkoman valley of Ghizer district, Gilgit-Baltistan, creating an artificial lake and blocking the flow of the Immit River. Water has submerged more than 30 houses, cultivated land, a link road and cattle farms.
DAWN.COM

A Dry Norway Needs Iceland’s Hay
Extensive droughts in Norway have led the country to turn to Iceland for much-needed hay​.
Norway

Authorities, residents brace for record flooding
Weather authorities and residents are getting used to responding to glacial floods in the Mendenhall Valley.
Juneau Empire

Slow Red Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) Run
Slow sockeye salmon (*Oncorhynchus nerka*) runs in the Aleutians potentially linked to warming ocean temperatures.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States

Flying Ants Invade Moscow
While the airborne ants may be a nuisance, Moscow City Hall’s environmental protection department said they are not dangerous.
Moscow, Moscow, Russia
The Moscow Times

In the Columbia–Snake River Basin, Salmon Are Losing Their Way
As the fish disappear, native peoples are looking for solutions lest they lose a way of life too.
Columbia and Snake Rivers, United States
NRDC

Wildfires rage in Arctic Circle as Sweden calls for help
Sweden worst hit as hot, dry summer sparks unusual number of fires, with at least 11 in the far north.
Älvdalen, Dalarnas län, Sweden

'Red tide' algal blooms appearing around B.C. coastal waters
A species commonly referred to as “red tide” has been spotted around B.C. coastal waters over the past month.
Coastal Waters, British Columbia, Canada

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

Asthma deaths rise 25% amid growing air pollution crisis
Doctors urge ministers to act as 1,320 killed by asthma in England and Wales last year
England and Wales, United Kingdom

New tick discovered in New York and Vermont
The tick is not native to the U.S., but was found in several locations in Westchester County.
Westchester County, New York, United States
WTEN

More than 90 deaths now linked to heat wave in Quebec
New report suggests 53 deaths in Montreal alone are linked to elevated temperatures in early July.
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
thestar.com

Record-breaking heat hits Norway, Finland and Sweden / Arctic Circle closes on 32C
An intense heat dome has swelled over Scandinavia, spurring some of the region's hottest weather ever recorded.
Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden

Walleye Pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) in salmon nets
Billie Shraffenberger is a longtime resident of Port Heiden. This is the first time she has caught a fish like the one she found in her subsistence salmon net this summer.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States

Hundreds of Arctic glaciers shrinking, disappearing into 'city of icebergs'
The statistics in her recently published paper say it all: hundreds of glaciers in Canada's High Arctic are shrinking and many are likely to disappear completely.
Slidre Fjord, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut

5,000 percent increase in native trees on rat-free Palmyra Atoll
New research published in PLOS ONE this week demonstrates dramatic positive benefits for native trees following rat removal at Palmyra Atoll, a magnificent National Wildlife Refuge and natural research laboratory located about 1000 miles south of Hawaii. For five native tree species, including Pisonia grandis, fewer than 150 seedlings were counted in the presence of rats, and more than 7700 seedlings were counted five years after rats were removed.
Palmyra Atoll
EurekAlert!

Warning issued after toxic death cap mushrooms found in Greater Victoria
The highly toxic death cap mushroom, responsible for the death of a Victoria toddler in 2016, has already been found growing in Greater Victoria, much earlier than expected.
Cedar Hill Golf Course, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Times Colonist

Lots of bees!
More bees seen enjoying sweet clover thus year than in recent years.

Dog owners issued warning as deer ticks move into Calgary backyards
Deer ticks have made the jump from the mountains to city backyards, putting your dog at risk of contracting Lyme disease in the summer heat.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Dead Sea Mammal and Sea Birds on the Beach
Residents of Chevak and Hooper Bay found two species of sea bird either dead or approachable near the mouth of the Kiuqliiviq and Aprun rivers near fish camps. Residents of Hooper Bay also found a dead sea mammal on the beach.
Hooper Bay, Alaska, United States

Fireweed Clearwing Moth (Albuna pyramidalis) Sighting
Fireweed Clearwing Moth (*Albuna pyramidalis*) found in south Anchorage.

Mountain pine beetle takes over Jasper National Park forests
The iconic pine trees blanketing Jasper National Park may never be the same as a mountain pine beetle epidemic has infected nearly half of the park's pine forest.
Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada
Edmonton Journal

First Observation of Northern Groundcone (Boschniakia rossica)
The northern gorundcone (*Boschniakia rossica*)s not commonly found in this area.
Crooked Creek, Alaska, United States

Almost every part of Canada’s largest national park is deteriorating
The report on Wood Buffalo National Park says industry, dams, climate change and natural cycles are sucking the lifeblood from the vast delta of northeastern Alberta's Peace and Athabasca rivers
Wood Buffalo National Park

‘No fish and no hope’: Poor sockeye salmon run takes a toll on Chignik
As of Friday afternoon, the sockeye escapement in the Chignik salmon fishery was less than half of what it usually is this time of the year.
Chignik, Alaska, United States

Nearly entire Gulf of Finland overrun with blue-green algae
With current tropical conditions set to continue for another week, the situation is not likely to improve before the end of July or early August.
Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland

New Maps Appear To Show Crimea Is Drying Up
According to Ukraine, vegetation in Crimea is drying up at record levels.
Kiev, Kyiv City, Ukraine
RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty

Concern over raging wildfires as smoke from Siberia crosses Alaska and Canada, reaching New England
Latest reports show 27 fires across Krasnoyarsk region covering 8,682 hectares in. Areas potentially threatening settlements. The forest fire situation is most difficult in Siberia and the Far East, in the Sakha region.
Красноярск, Красноярский край, Russia
Siberian Times

Wisconsin reports first death from Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is an uncommon but potentially deadly tick-borne disease that's on the rise in the United States.
Wisconsin, United States

Phytoplankton Bloom near Prince of Wales Island
Ocean water has a green tint near Craig and Klawock, Alaska.
Craig, Alaska, United States

After a long wait, Ugashik fishermen’s patience pays off
After a very slow beginning to their season, fishermen in Ugashik Bay saw millions of sockeye salmon return in a little over a week in mid-July.
Pilot Point, Alaska, United States

Watch a glacier half the size of Manhattan break off Greenland
All was quiet on June 22 as Canadian scientists David and Denise Holland settled in for the night off Greenland’s Helheim Glacier. But within minutes, five to eight billion tons of ice had broken off into the water.
Southeast Greenland

Inuvik boil water advisory partially due to water plant repairs
A Department of Health news release states the boil water advisory is in relation to high turbidity levels in the river, or muddy water. The turbidity is caused by high water levels.
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada

Death toll in Japan floods nears 200 as intense heat brings threat of disease
Intense heat and water shortages raised fears of disease outbreaks in flood-hit western Japan on Thursday as the death toll from the worst weather disaster in 36 years neared 200. More than 200,000 households had no water a week after torrential rains caused floods and set off landslides across western Japan, bringing death and destruction to decades-old communities built on mountain slopes and flood plains. The death toll rose to 195, with several dozen people still missing, the government said on Thursday.
Saka, Hiroshima, Japan

Greenland community on high alert as massive iceberg looms
Innaarsuit, an island community in northwestern Greenland, is on standby for evacuation because a giant iceberg is looming over it.
Innaarsuit, Greenland

Drying Fish And Having Trouble With Flies? A Local Biologist Wants To Help.
As fishing restrictions push salmon harvests on the Kuskokwim River later into the wet part of summer, families are seeking new ways to dry their fish and keep bugs away.
Bethel, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Man almost drowns trying to save his car in Siberia flood
Heavy rains engulf TransBaikal region with a dozen railway bridges destroyed and 15 more damaged.
Чита, Забайкальский край, Russia

Porpoise sighted in Pastolik River
Porpoise spotted heading up the Pastolik River

Lake Metacomet algae bloom prompts concern
BELCHERTOWN — A potentially harmful algal bloom in Lake Metacomet has officials recommending residents stay out of the water until the growth clears. “Basically, I’m advising people to avoid or minimize contact with the water,” said Erica Cross,...
Lake Metacomet, Massachusetts, United States
Daily Hampshire Gazette

What’s causing all these dead fish in the Keys?
The Florida Keys is experiencing higher than usual fish kills this summer, but wildlife officials don't think it's part of a red tide or other type of algae bloom affecting other parts of South Florida.
Florida Keys, United States
miamiherald

X-Cell Tumor Around the Gills of a Black Rockfish (Sebastes melonops)
Black Rockfish (*Sebastes melonops*) caught with X-Cell tumor.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States

Elevated PSP Levels in Unalaska and Sand Point
Regional monitoring program notifies shellfish harvesters of an upward trend in concentrations of PSP.

Orcas of the Pacific Northwest Are Starving and Disappearing
The population of endangered killer whales has hit a 30-year-low, numbering only 75 this year.
Seattle, Washington, United States

For Alaska sockeye salmon, record highs in Bristol Bay, record lows nearly everywhere else
Fishery scientists suspect the downturns are due to the warmest sea-surface temperatures ever recorded running from 2014-2016.

Gov. Rick Scott issues state of emergency for Martin, St. Lucie counties over toxic algae
Gov. Rick Scott's state of emergency could help local officials battle the toxic algae.
Saint Lucie County, Florida, United States
TCPalm

Are great white sharks sinking their teeth into Bering Sea seals?
There’s only one historical record of a great white shark in the Bering Sea: fishermen caught one nearly 40 years ago. But scientists have reason to believe that in recent years there might be more of the predators around.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States

Black meat from a Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)
Unusual dark coloration in Sockeye salmon (*Oncorhynchus nerka*) meat
Falls Creek, Alaska, United States

Sperm whale found dead off beach near Blenheim during weekend
Rangers discovered the whale on Saturday, the cause of death is unknown.
Blenheim, Marlborough Region, New Zealand
NZ Herald

Weird Looking Bug
These are predaceous diving beetle larvae, in the family Dytiscidae.
Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada

Largest Landslide in Icelandic History
The landslide is thought to be the largest that has ever occurred in Iceland. Experts say that the uncommonly wet summer weather is to blame for the event.
Borgarbyggð, Vesturland, Iceland

Torrential rains kill at least 81 in western Japan
The death toll from torrential rain and landslides in western Japan rose to 81 people on Sunday, with dozens still missing after more than 2,000, temporarily stranded in the city of Kurashiki, were rescued.
Japan, 岡山県倉敷市
U.S.

14 minke whale deaths in Maritimes this year
The Marine Animal Response Society is keeping a close eye on the minke whale population in the Maritimes after at least 14 of them have been observed dead at sea or washed ashore since February.
New Brunswick, Canada

Exploding Salish Sea seal population sparks call for a cull
Tens of thousands of seals in the Salish Sea are devouring millions of adult and juvenile salmon, sparking renewed debate about a cull.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Sun

Spruce beetles take flight in search of new host trees
Over the last two years, an outbreak has affected more than 500,000 acres of forest.
Sterling, Alaska, United States

Brown ocean water at White Rock beach caused by ‘algae bloom’
City released a notice Thursday, saying the water is safe
White Rock, British Columbia, Canada
Peace Arch News

Mayflies, algae both part of the game for Lake Erie walleye anglers
Anglers has expressed concerns that this early-arriving green slime signals the end of what was viewed as the summer of plenty for walleye fishermen.
Toledo, Ohio, United States
The Blade

Lake Okeechobee discharges stopping for 9 days; scope of algae bloom ‘enormous’
Officials hope a 9-day break from Lake Okeechobee releases into the St. Lucie Estuary will allow a saltwater recharge to help keep algae at bay.
Okeechobee, Florida, United States
Palm Beach Post

1 dead, dozens injured from hail storm
The southwest region of France was hit on Wednesday by violent hailstorms, damaging roofs, cars and killing one person.
Bordeaux, France
ABC News

Three dead gray whales wash up on Kodiak Island beaches in one week
Three dead gray whales washed up on two different Kodiak Island beaches recently. The strandings happened within the span of a week.
Womens Bay, Alaska, United States

Iraq bans farming summer crops
Iraq has banned its farmers from planting summer crops this year as the country grapples with a crippling water shortage that shows few signs of abating.
Citing high temperatures and insufficient rai...
المشخاب, An-Najaf, Iraq
The Standard

Curve-billed Thrasher (Toxostoma curvirostre) in Canal Flats
At 3pm on July 5-2018, Gord Littlejohns found and photographed a Curve-billed Thrasher in a dead tree along the shoreline near the boat lau...
Invermere, British Columbia, Canada

Chignik fishermen stuck ashore as sockeye run fails
There is really only one thing to talk about in Chignik Bay these days: Where are the sockeye?
Chignik, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media / KMXT - Kodiak

Red meat allergy transmitted by ticks on the rise; species found in Alabama, Southeast
The Lone Star Tick reprograms the human immune system to reject beef, pork, chicken and other red meats. It can also cause dairy allergies.
Alabama, United States
AL.com

Hot, dry weather may be the last straw for dairy farmers
The dry weather during May and June is putting an increasing strain on Sweden's farmers. There is a risk that several farms will have to close down.
Jönköpings län, Sweden
Radio Sweden

Ecosystems across Australia are collapsing under climate change
Australia has seen an unprecedented number of widespread, catastrophic transformations in response to extreme weather events.
Australia
The Conversation

Arrival of Sargassum on Florida's Central East Coast Beaches
We observed large patches of marine macro-algae (*Sargassum* sp.) floating just offshore, drifting north, and getting stranded on the beach.
Hutchinson Island, Florida, United States

Very sick dog after eating from the beach
On this occasion he did not just vomit once, but over and over, combined with severe diarrhea and fatigue.
McDonald Spit, Alaska, United States
Kris Holderied, Michael Opheim , Gillian Brubaker , Rose Masui, Raphaela Stimmelmayr, Brian Berube, Mike Brubaker

Just before Independence Day holiday, Anchorage beats heat record
Anchorage hit 80 degrees Tuesday night, beating a record set in 1979, according to the National Weather Service.

Reykjavík Has Least Sunny June in Thirty Years
A mere 71 hours of sunshine were recorded in the capital last month.
Reykjavík, Iceland

Polar bears late June visits to St. Anthony unusual
Department of Fisheries and Land Resources theorizes why bears still around so late into the season
Saint Anthony, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Whale strandings off Washington-Oregon coast highest in nearly 2 decades
Sixteen gray and humpback whales have been reported stranded off Washington and Oregon since April 3, the largest number in nearly two decades.
Oregon & Washington Coast, United States
The Seattle Times

South Florida beaches see a surge in seaweed
Sargassum, a type of marine algae, is washing up en masse on Caribbean beaches, closing them down to the public. The same sargassum is here in Miami, lining Miami beaches.
Dania Beach, Hollywood, Florida, United States
Miami Herald

Climate change not one heat wave: scientist
A Canadian climate scientist says Canada and the world are seeing a pattern of more extreme weather events
Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Lake Cowichan Gazette

More than 50 dead walleye found onshore at N.W.T. park | CBC News
A resident said his kids don't want to go swimming at that location because there are so many dead fish in the water.
Behchokò, Northwest Territories, Canada

Drought May Be Cause Of Colorado Aspen Tree Die-Off
A mysterious malady has killed off nearly one-fifth of Colorado's aspens. But forest ecologists have struggled to explain the widespread die-off, known as Sudden Aspen Decline.
Aspen, Colorado, United States
CBS 4 Denver

Mini Algae Blooms Arrive Earlier, Larger Than Normal
Mini algae blooms are a regular occurrence in the western basin of Lake Erie. They pop up early in the season and usually dissipate before...
Lake Erie, United States
Cleveland Scene

Heat wave turns deadly and is expected to last through the Fourth of July
Nearly 80 million people in the United States remained under a heat advisory or warning Tuesday, with scorching temperatures and humidity expected through the Fourth of July.
Montréal, Quebec, Canada

Beached Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus)
Gray whale (*Eschrichtius robustus*) found dead on the beach near Kivalina.
Kivalina, Alaska, United States

Burying Beetle (genus Nicrophorus)
Burying Beetle (genus *Nicrophorus*) Found on McDonald Spit in Seldovia.
McDonald Spit, Alaska, United States

Why It's 90 Degrees in the Arctic Circle
The town of Lakselv, Norway, located near the Banak Peninsula and more than 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle in far northern Europe, recorded a temperature of 91 degrees on Wednesday and a high of at least 90 degrees twice this week. That's roughly 30 degrees above average for this region of the world.
Lakselv Sentrum, Finnmark, Norway
The Weather Channel

Two deaths, no births for Southern Resident orcas over the past year
The biggest challenges for whales is the buildup of toxic chemicals in their bodies and the shrinking runs of Chinook salmon, their primary prey.
Seattle, Washington, United States
KING

Allayuk uguguaq, "Strange Caterpillar," identified as Bedstraw Hawkmoth (Hyles gallii)
Unusually colored caterpillar in area identified as Bedstraw Hawkmoth (*Hyles gallii*)
Oscarville, Alaska, United States

Cougar Sighted on Upper Kenai River
A rare sighting near the confluence of the Russian River.
Cooper Landing, Alaska, United States

Rainy summer leads to flooded basements
The city has seen 114 millimetres of precipitation so far this June, more than the average for the entire summer.

Hottest Night in Recorded History Just Logged in Oman
Quriyat, Oman just blasted past a 24-hour minimum-temperature record, beating the previous "highest low," which was also set in Oman.
Quryat, Oman
Live Science

Tick reports increasing in Niagara
Despite facing drastic increase in the number of ticks being reported in Niagara, the region’s acting medical officer of health says the chance of getting Lyme disease remain relatively low.
Wainfleet Bog, Ontario, Canada
StCatharinesStandard.ca

Family that fell through ice with 3-month-old baby rescued by passersby near Igloolik
It was a terrifyingly close call for a family with a three-month-old baby last weekend, when their sled plunged through the ice.
Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada

Soaring seabird numbers boost island wildlife reserve
Handa Island Wildlife Reserve

Brown Seaweed Appears in Massive Amounts on Florida, Caribbean Beaches
The foul-smelling seaweed is back yet again.
Miami Beach, Florida, United States

«We have a difficult ice situation around the oil platform»
At this time of year, there has never before been such a complicated ice condition around Russia’s offshore Arctic oil platform «Prirazlomnaya».
The Independent Barents Observer

Summer snow falls in parts of Newfoundland
Never seen it this late in June
Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Sargassum (Phaeophyceae) Weed in Dominican Republic
Evidence from Dominican Republic of the larger regional weed event.
Boca de Yuma, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic

Anthrax kills eight cows on South Dakota farm
For the first time this year, anthrax has been reported in cattle in South Dakota.  State Veterinarian Dr. Dustin Oedekoven has confirmed that 8 cows died from a herd of 87 unvaccinated cattle in Clark County. The Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory at SDSU confirmed the disease from samples submitted over the weekend. Anthrax …
Clark County, South Dakota, United States
Outbreak News Today

Summer snow falls in parts of Newfoundland: 'Never seen it this late in June'
Two centimetres had fallen in parts of Newfoundland
Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Lake Cowichan Gazette

Algal bloom spreads to more of Utah Lake
More of Utah Lake is infested with cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, which can contain toxins harmful to people and animals.
Spanish Fork, Utah, United States
KSL.com

Epic storm lashes Barnaul
A powerful and sudden storm left the city almost totally without electricity and with water supply shortages.
Барнаул, Алтайский край, Russia

Holy Sargassum! Seaweed Invasion
A species of seaweed has been washing up on beaches across the Caribbean and South Florida.
South Miami, Florida, United States
University of Miami News and Events

Sargassum (Phaeophyceae) and dead fish at Punta Cana
Punta Cana, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic

Sargassum seaweed forces closure of St. James’s Club in Antigua
St. James Club, Saint John, Antigua and Barbuda
St. Lucia News Online

Respiratory germ found in moose, caribou
A respiratory pathogen once thought to only affect sheep and goats has been found in Alaska caribou and moose. The bacterium, called mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, or "Movi," has also been implicated in the death of an emaciated caribou from the Fortymile herd last month.
Alaska, United States
Arctic Sounder

Public asked to report dead birds
In May and June, dead birds, mostly murres, have been washing up on beaches on St. Lawrence Island, Shishmaref and east Norton Sound.

Man killed, member of search party injured in Eagle River bear attacks
Michael Soltis’ death is the second fatal bear attack in the Anchorage municipality in two summers.
Eagle River, Alaska, United States
Michelle Theriault Boots, ADN - Matt Tunseth, Alaska Star

Seabirds Washing Up Dead; Scientists Investigating
For the second year in a row, dead seabirds are washing up on beaches throughout the region by the hundreds. The birds appear to be starving, but scientists say the story is more complicated.
Gambell, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

Temperature records broken across B.C., again
The first heat wave of the season went out with a bang across the province
Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada

Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) Foraging in Re-occupied Soft Bottom Habitats
Rare observation of sea otter in Haro Strait, perhaps first since 2014.
Haro Strait, British Columbia, Canada

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) Targeting Forage Fish in Open Water
Island View Beach, British Columbia, Canada

Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea) Found Slightly North of Range
Sooty Shearwater (*Ardenna grisea*) found in the bay near Platinum, slightly north of usual species range.
Platinum, Alaska, United States
Harold Okitkun, Kathy Kuletz, Minnie Roberts

Heading to the beach? Get ready for thick, slimy seaweed
Heavy mats of seaweed are washing up on South Florida beaches, creating thick barriers to the ocean.
Delray Beach, Florida, United States
Sun-Sentinel.com

Small red salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) return and fish size
Sockeye are smaller in size and fewer in number this year than in recent years.
Ouzinkie, Alaska, United States

Sweden faces midsummer strawberry shortage due to unfavourable weather
Would Midsommar even be Midsommar without Swedish strawberries? Well millions may be about to find out.
Skåne län, Sweden
Radio Sweden

Mysterious marine mammal injuries hint that some sharks are shifting their range northward into the Arctic - Arctic Today
Sleeper sharks are already known to range as far north as the Chukchi Sea, but reports of possible shark attacks on seal and sea lions have increased — and now come from further into the Arctic.
Bering and Chukchi Seas
Arctic Today

All king salmon fishing on the Kenai River closed starting Wednesday
Weak returns forced the latest restriction. Good news: Sockeye fishing at the Russian River is forecast to be good.
Kenai, Alaska, United States

Midsummer strawberry shortage
Sweden's unusually warm and sunny May, which pushed the early varieties, which are normally timed to peak at Midsommar, to flower and fruit two weeks early.
Skåne, Skåne län, Sweden

Tent caterpillar in Yellowknife

Fatal feline feces: Scientists discover cause for recent monk seal deaths
State officials are now blaming toxoplasmosis, a parasite carried in cat feces, for the deaths of three critically endangered Hawaiian monk seals on Oahu.
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Hawaii News Now

Mass death of herring on Sakhalin island: what is the cause?
Thousands of herring washed up around Piltun Bay in northeastern Sakhalin..
Okha, Sakhalin, Russia

The 'blob' impacts salmon numbers, stopping fishing on Copper River
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game issued an emergency order Wednesday closing the personal-use and sport fishing for Copper River sockeye around Chitina until further notice. It goes into effect on Monday, June 18th.
Chitina, Alaska, United States
KTUU

Northernmost Bobcat (Lynx rufus) Observation
This most Northerly Bobcat *(Lynx rufus)* observation in the iNaturalist database marks the leading edge of the northward expansion of this species.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
iNaturalist.org

Deadly Tensions Rise as India’s Water Supply Runs Dangerously Low
Some 600 million Indians, about half the population, face high to extreme water scarcity conditions, with about 200,000 dying every year from inadequate access to safe water, says a government report.
Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India

Respiratory Pathogen "Movi" Documented in Additional Species in Alaska is Also Implicated in Alaska Caribou Death
Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae ("Movi") is a respiratory bacterium that can cause disease in susceptible hosts. Previously thought to be host-restricted to sheep and goat species, scientists have identified Movi for the first time in healthy moose and caribou in Alaska; a bison in Montana; mule deer in New Mexico, and diseased white-tailed deer from the upper Midwest.
Alaska, United States
ADF&G Press Release

Fire Near Unalakleet
Wildfire smoke visible in Unalakleet.

Brent Goose Nests in Iceland for First Time
A nest belonging to a brent (Brant) goose was found last week around Bessastaðanes peninsula, where the presidential residence is located.
Reykjavik, Capital Region, Iceland

Why a rare appearance of capelin in P.E.I. is good news
Capelin have made an appearance on a beach in western P.E.I. — a rare occurrence and also a sign that capelin populations are strong.
White's Cove, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Arctic river turns red again
Red water - nickel processing plant says cause is decades of contamination in Soviet times which company is working to overcome.
Норильск, Красноярский край, Russia
Siberian Times

As the Arctic warms, a changing landscape on the Chukchi Sea
"These ridges that we’re standing on, there would have been more of them, and they would have been bigger," ice researcher Andy Mahoney said. "The features that we now see, they’re something of a shadow from the past." Listen now
Barrow, Alaska, United States
Ravenna Koenig, Alaska's Energy Desk - Fairbanks

Drought in a rainforest? Yes
There are no tumbleweeds blowing through the streets of Southeast Alaska towns, but, the region has received quite a bit less precipitation than usual over the past nine months.
Ketchikan, Alaska, United States
KRBD

Southeast Alaska dries up in rare problem: a drought
If it sounds unusual to have a drought in a rainforest, it is. Low snow and little rain combined to deliver an almost unprecedented drought to southern
Juneau Empire

Dismal Copper River salmon run prompts ‘unprecedented’ shutdown of dipnetting at Chitina
Biologists blame the Blob of warm water in the Gulf of Alaska for poor sockeye returns that also led to the second lowest commercial harvest in 50 years.
Chitina, Alaska, United States

Noctiluca Bloom
Second Noctiluca bloom we have had in the last 4 weeks
Kasaan, Alaska, United States

Not a dream: Eureka Lodge awakes to ‘very unusual’ late-spring dump of snow
The lodge at above 3,000 feet altitude on the Glenn Highway measured 6 to 8 inches of snow as of Monday morning -- and it was still falling.
Glennallen, Alaska, United States

Its June, but one Alaska community just got half a foot of snow
Summer slowly arrived in Alaska this month, but if you live in Glennallen, you may be having very different emotions regarding June weather.
Glennallen, Alaska, United States

Mysterious masses of seaweed assault Caribbean islands
Scientists scramble to explain unusual bloom of Sargassum
Caribbean Islands
Science | AAAS

Some Parts of B.C. Just Got Hit With 20-40cm of Snow
Snow arrived in certain parts of British Columbia over the last 24 hours, providing citizens with up to a whopping 20 cm.
Silver Star Mountain Resort, British Columbia, Canada
604 Now

Voracious spruce bark beetles are back in force in Southcentral Alaska
Dead, red trees signal an increasingly dire outbreak driven by warm summers and plentiful spruce, especially in the Susitna Valley.
Trapper Creek, Alaska, United States

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

Southwest Alaska village ‘on edge’ after fox and dog test positive for rabies
Adding to the concerns are stories of increasingly aggressive foxes in Marshall and other villages. It appears to be a strong year for the fox population, a state biologist said. Marshall is shooting stray dogs to protect village residents.
Marshall, Alaska, United States

Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) Sighted in the Haro Strait
Island View Beach Regional Park
Phoebe Okey-Dobie, Theo Okolowicz, Tom Okey

Pollen Levels Well Above Average in Akureyri
According to the Icelandic Institute of Natural History, pollen levels are considerably above the average for this time of year, causing considerable irritation for those with pollen allergies.
Akureyri, Norðurland eystra, Iceland

'Set net' of Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Island View Beach, Saanich, British Columbia, Canada

Unauthorized driving, wetter-than-normal spring behind Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway closures | CBC News
This spring’s closures on the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway are a result of unusually wet weather and drivers failing to respect road closures, according to engineers with the Northwest Territories Infrastructure Department.

Rare killer whale sighting in Victoria's Inner Harbour
One whale-watched said it appeared to be a mother orca with a large dorsal fin and three to four young orcas.
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Morris Cove Creek and Ocean Disconnection
An obstruction has disconnected Morris Cove from ocean waters, preventing salmon from moving upstream.
Dutch Harbor, Alaska, United States

Huge chunks of ice afloat in northern B.C. lake, as glacier retreats
Atlin-based helicopter pilot Jamie Tait says a kilometre-long piece of ice recently broke off the Llewellyn Glacier, at the south end of Atlin Lake.
Atlin, British Columbia, Canada

Contiguous U.S. had its warmest May on record
Each state was warmer than average, record precipitation in the East
United States of America
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Wasatch Mountains are Snow Free in June
Wasatch Mountains near Payson, Utah are snow-free about a month earlier than normal.
Payson, Utah, United States

2000-acre tundra fire burns near Point Hope
A tundra fire that has grown to 2,000 acres as of Monday afternoon is burning near Point Hope, officials say.
Point Hope, Alaska, United States
KTVA

Weak king salmon return prompts Kenai Peninsula fishing closures
A poor return of king salmon on the Anchor River will shut down all sport fishing on the Anchor and Ninilchik rivers and Deep Creek drainages beginning Saturday morning, the Alaska Department of Fish & Game announced Thursday.
Ninilchik, Alaska, United States

Dozens of wildland fires reported across Alaska’s Arctic
As of Tuesday, two new fires had started in the Galena Zone, bringing the total number of fires in the area to 35. To date this year, wildland fires have burned more than 44,000 acres in the region.
Point Hope, Alaska, United States

Dead Hare Infested with Ticks
A dead hare was observed in Interior Alaska that was infested with a native species of tick. Wildlife officials are asking residents to keep an eye out for ticks on pets and for signs of tick infestation in large mammals, such as hair loss in moose.
Fort Yukon, Alaska, United States
Melinda L Peter, Kimberlee Beckmen, Louisa Castrodale

Where salmon recreational fishing will be closed to boost orcas
Federal officials have shut down salmon and recreational fishing for the summer in key feeding grounds for killer whales. The closures, which took effect Friday, apply to parts of the southern . . .
Gulf Islands, British Columbia, Canada
Times Colonist

Blackline Prickleback (Acantholumpenus mackayi) Caught While Fishing For Herring
Blackline Prickleback (*Acantholumpenus mackayi*) caught along the Bering Sea Coast
Chevak, Alaska, United States

Record temperatures mean heated competition in Stockholm Marathon
Some 20,000 runners will hit the streets this Saturday for the Stockholm Marathon that promises some unseasonably warm temperatures.
Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica): Newfoundland Rare Bird of 2018
The rarest bird sighted in 2018 was the purple gallinule on the Waterford River in St. John’s. There have been more than a dozen recorded sightings in the past, typically on a ship or in a random back garden only to be seen briefly and never again. This bird was different. It was present for about six weeks from mid-May and into June.
As 2018 comes to a close it is time to look back at the birding year in Newfoundland. According to my calculations 272 species of birds were observed on the island of Newfoundland in 2018. This grand total is on par with recent years.
Waterford River, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada

No Sea Stars on Bishop's Beach
Sea Star Wasting Disease has caused sea stars to die off since 2013. As of 2018, there are still no sea stars on Bishops Beach in Homer.
Homer, Alaska, United States

B.C. on track to break records for dry weather in May
Many communities have gone weeks without rain this month
White Rock, British Columbia, Canada

Soaring temperatures pace up glacial melt in Pakistan's north
ISLAMABAD: Growing average temperatures in Pakistan’s north, have increased the melting pace of glaciers, said Mohammad Saleem, spokesperson for Climate Change Ministry and environmental...
Northern Areas, Pakistan
The International News

Beluga whales visiting Alaskan river earlier, in greater numbers: researcher
Cook Inlet beluga whales are swimming up the Kenai River earlier in the year and in greater numbers than previously estimated, according to new monitoring of the endangered species.
Kenai, Alaska, United States

Wolverines are discovered in unexpected corners
By the early 1900s, trapping and poisoning had killed off most wolverines in the Lower 48, and today, fewer than 300 remain, mostly in Washington,...
Wind River range
Durango Herald

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

European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) invaded our neighborhood and city
Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada

Reykjavík’s Rain Record Broken
This May is the rainiest on record for Reykjavík.
Reykjavík, Iceland

Ellicott City devastated by another flood as heavy rain drenches the Baltimore region
Ellicott City was devastated by heavy rain Sunday, just two years after the historic city in Howard County was forced to recover from another flash flood.
Ellicott City, Maryland, United States
baltimoresun.com

What is Eating Garry Oak (Quercus garryana) Leaves?
Mount Tolmie, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Madison, Milwaukee set record high temperatures on Sunday
On Sunday, both the cities reached 95 degrees, edging out previous highs of 94 degrees for May 27 set in 2012 for Madison and 1911 for Milwaukee.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Wisconsin State Journal

Old-growth logging in Nahmint Valley
Questions have been raised after the 10th widest Douglas fir tree in BC BigTree Registry is cut down.
Nahmint Valley, British Columbia, Canada

Gulf Islanders raise alarm over too many whale-watching boats
Southern Gulf Islands, British Columbia, Canada

Opioids, antibiotics found in mussels in the Puget Sound
Shellfish in the Puget Sound tested positive for the prescription opioid oxycodone, and this was not the only drug found by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Elliott Bay, Washington, United States

Eagles Deck Out Their Nest With Kelp
Gosling Rocks
Hakai Magazine

California Quail (Callipepla californica) Expanding Poleward

9 temperature records broken across B.C.
Clearwater, Golden, Williams Lake, Malahat a few of the cities that broke records Wednesday
Yoho Park, British Columbia, Canada

Reindeer crisis in Yamalo-Nenets as number of deaths rise
‘Thousands’ perish amid calls for a state of emergency in the region, with fears anthrax vaccine is a cause of death.
Ямало-Ненецкий АО, Russia

Phaeohyphomycoses Fungal Infection on Smelt (Hypomesus olidus)
Smelt caught in Bethel with fungal infection previously found in the Norton Sound region.

Washed-up Carcass Tangled in Netting
The remains of a possible seal carcass tangled in netting may have come into contact postmortem, "ghost fishing" as a potential cause.

Concerned About Discoloration of Snow Along North Slope Roads
Questions raised about the impacts of vehicle exhaust and soot on snow deposition as well as dirt and dust from roads.
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States
Raphaela Stimmelmayr, Mike Brubaker, Eunice Brower

Abnormally Cold Spring
At Cold Bay, snow was reported on five days during the month, the most for any May since 2013.
Nelson Lagoon, Alaska, United States

40 injured as winds reach hurricane force in western Siberia
Spectacular sandstorm hits Tyumen as high winds uproot trees, blow over bus shelters, and damage cars.
Тюмень, Тюменская область, Russia

Power of the Ob - drifting ice on clogged river breaks metal railings and drags people away from their hi-tech lives
By this time of year, boats are usually plying the ice-free Ob, but in 2018, while the winter covering the river has begun to move, it has not cleared.
Сургут, Ханты-Мансийский АО, Russia

More polar bears are entering communities in East Greenland, hunters say in new survey
In the last 15 years, polar bear hunters in eastern Greenland have had to adapt their hunting practices because of climate change,
Baffin, Nunavut, Canada

Pair of Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris) Observed in Cordova Channel
Tsawout First Nation Beach, British Columbia, Canada

B.C. flooding: Ottawa sending military to help flooded communities, evacuations in Fraser Valley
Military help is on the way to B.C. communities ravaged by floods, as rivers rise and more people are forced out of their homes around the province.
Grand Forks, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Sun

Sea otters make a comeback in southeast Alaska, and fishermen are not happy
Northern sea otters, once hunted to the brink of extinction along Alaska's Panhandle, have made a spectacular comeback.
Associated Press

State of emergency as ice-choked Lena River spills its banks in remote settlements
Thick ice and heavy spring floods combines to cause severe flooding in Yakutia. Specialists numbering around 100 have been moved from Baikal Search and Rescue Unit (Irkutsk region) and the Siberian Rescue Centre (Novosibirsk region) have been moved the the stricken region.
Якутск, Республика Саха, Russia

Boil water advisory issued for 4 South Slave communities
The advisory is just a precaution at this point and was issued because the water appears muddier than usual, the release said. No one has reported getting sick from the water.
Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC North

First right whale of the season spotted in Canadian waters
The first right whale of the season has been spotted in Canadian waters after an unprecedented winter in which not a single calf was spotted.
Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada

Finland experiencing worst birch pollen season in years
As many allergy-sufferers across Finland may have already suspected, birch pollen levels were very high on Wednesday, according to the University of Turku.
Turku, Varsinais-Suomi, Finland

Heatwave sparks fears of wildfires across large parts of Sweden - Radio Sweden
Its only mid-May but the mini heatwave has left large areas of Sweden bone-dry, leading to a ban on public fires in several areas.

Railroad traffic still stalled as Talkeetna flooding recedes
Flooding that halted Alaska Railroad trains north of Talkeetna Saturday, has receded, but train traffic remains shut down. Listen now
Curry, Alaska, United States

Eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus) in the Homathko River
The trout we were gorging on them and the mergansers looked like they had eaten their fill.
Homathko River

Wolf Spider (Lycosidae) in Teller
Possible wolf spider seen in Teller
Teller, Alaska, United States

‘Wall of ice’ from Susitna River damages railroad tracks
A 7-foot "wall of ice" from a Susitna River ice jam slammed into Alaska Railroad tracks north of Talkeetna on Saturday, pushing the rails 25 feet off course, the railroad said Monday.The Alaska Railroad is racing to make repairs in time for the start of its tourist season on Wednesday.
Talkeetna, Alaska, United States

No damage, just wet roads after flooding
Residents of Jean Marie River can rest easy now, as rising water levels from the Mackenzie River have now receded.
Jean Marie River, Northwest Territories, Canada

Finland enjoys warmest Mother's Day on record
A temperature of 27.7 degrees Celsius was recorded in the southern city of Kouvola.
Kouvola, Kymenlaakso, Finland

Armageddon as wildfires ignite forest around Komsomolsk-on-Amur
City a ‘smoky hell’ as hill on opposite side of Amur River is in flames while driver films inferno on train track.
Комсомольск-на-Амуре, Хабаровский край, Russia

Bowhead whales, dwellers of icy seas, enjoy steady growth off Alaska in the age of climate change
Sea ice has shrunk, but scientists are seeing signs that Alaska's bowhead whales are flourishing.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States

First Mosquito
Early mosquito sighting in NWT.
Northwest Territories, Canada

Finnish Coast Guard rescues humpback whale trapped in fish net off west coast
The Finnish Coast Guard came to the rescue of a whale caught in a fish trap on Saturday in the narrow region of the Gulf of Bothnia known as Kvarken.
Sävar, Västerbotten, Sweden

Lapland braces for worst spring flooding in 20 years
The highest flood levels in Finland's measurement history are predicted to hit Rovaniemi. The cities of Tornio and Kittilä also expect extensive water damage.
Rovaniemi, Lappi, Finland

Fishing Boat Lifted by Whale
At the time of the encounter, Einar had been line fishing for a while. He and his boatmate had just been talking about how many whales were around.
Sangerdi, Southern Peninsula, Iceland

This winter saw second highest snowfall in recorded history
The snowfall in Nome over the winter didn’t break the all-time record but it came close. According to the National Weather Service, 115.5 inches of snow fell, making the winter of 2017/18 number two for snowfall since modern weather reporting began.

Taken to tusk: Walrus discovery surprises remote Alaskan village - Independent.ie
Two hundred walruses surprised residents on an Alaskan peninsula after arriving en masse on a beach.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States
Independent.ie

Eastern Washington flooding reaches emergency levels
Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee proclaimed a state of emergency Saturday for counties in the eastern part of the state
Omak, Washington, United States
CBS/AP

Unusual Spiders by the Dozen
Spiders possibly wolf spiders of family (*Lycosidae*) numbering some 75 to 100 were seen on top of snow along Boulder Creek road and lagoon.
Wales, Alaska, United States

Spring breakup causes fish to fly on Hay River
As the ice breaks up on waterways across the North, the spring river breakup has come to a close in Hay River but not before it created a feast of fish for local birds.
Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada

Ross's Gull (Rhodostetia rosea) Spotted South of Normal Range
Ross's Gulls are normally seen in the high Arctic, this is the first reported sighting in Togiak. A similar sighting was reported to LEO Network from Hooper Bay.
Togiak, Alaska, United States

Unidentified Skate Found on Beach
It is unusual for skates to wash up on the beach.
Togiak, Alaska, United States

Farmed Atlantic Salmon Virus Linked to Disease in Chinook
Research finds farmed salmon virus may cause jaundice/anemia.
Okisollo Channel, British Columbia, Canada
The Tyee

"Total devastation": Dozens of fish killed in North, West Vancouver streams
West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Ross's Gull (Rhodostetia rosea) Spotted at Togiak Beach
An unusual gull species (possibly Ross's gull) sighted within days of a confirmed Ross's gull sighting in Togiak.

Record number of killer whales sighted on Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay, California, United States
Mercury News

Wind And More Wind
We have over two weeks of cold windy weather. It started in mid April around the time of the big wind storm. And in relation of the wind storm on April 24th, Rick Thoman wrote: "Winds this strong in the Anchorage are rare at this time of year. An unusually strong storm for the season in the southeastern Bering Sea produced southeast strong winds blowing across the Chugach Mountains. However, being April, the temperature profile of the atmosphere close to the ground was more conducive than in winter for allowing the very strong winds aloft to reach down to the ground.

Dry pastures could force farmers to kill off livestock early
Many cows might need to be slaughtered early due to a shortage grass for them to eat.
Halmstad, Hallands län, Sweden

Moderate to severe drought grips southern Manitoba
A dry winter exacerbated by a drier spring has left a wide swath of southern Manitoba in a state of moderate to severe drought, with much of the rest of the province classified as "abnormally dry."
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

North Slope whalers bring in a spring bounty
The ice conditions are similar to last year (with) lots of young ice and close leads," said Captain Frederick Brower. "We all went out and broke trail to the edge, but a high west wind came along and added about three-quarters to 1 mile of ice and (we) had to break trail through that and began whaling from the new edge ... . The conditions were not favorable but we made due with what we had and continued on with our whaling season."
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Alaska Media, LLC., Steve Keller designer and application developer

Jackfish spotted swimming in farmer's field
Lyndon Haskey said the water came alive with jackfish when he was checking a flooded pasture.
Wadena, Saskatchewan, Canada

Increased Turbulent Experience and High Winds While Flying during Winter Season
Passenger experiences usually turbulent conditions on winter flights.

Community takes steps to adapt to climate change
Located on the Alaska Peninsula, 424 miles southwest of Anchorage, Port Heiden is a cluster of homes at the mouth of the Meshik River on the shores of Bristol Bay. It's a community on the frontline of climate change in Alaska, where temperatures are rising twice as fast as the global average.
Bristol Bay Times

Unusual Species (Ross's Gull?) Sighted
Ross's gull (*Rhodostetia rosea*) spotted in Hooper Bay, south of normal species range.
Hooper Bay, Alaska, United States

Walrus haul out near Port Heiden
Residents saw a few hundred walrus hauled out at the beginning of April. By the end of April, they reported seeing about a thousand. On a recent flight over the shoreline, an ADF&G biologist saw only 100.
KDLG

Communities innovate to address Sargassum seaweed on coasts of Saint Lucia
Sargassum is free-floating brown macro-algae that lives in the temperate and tropical oceans of the world. In the open ocean, the floating seaweed provides important ecosystem services by acting as habitats for a diverse group of marine animals. It provides food, shade, and shelter to many types of specialized fish, crustaceans, and turtles.
East Coast of Saint Lucia
Global Environment Facility

With 50+ Ringed Seal Sightings, Unalaskans Start Tracking The Unexpected Species
Unalaskans are used to spotting marine mammals around the island. But lately, they're not just seeing whales or otters. They're seeing ringed seals — an Arctic species that typically lives far north of the ice-free Aleutian Islands.
Dutch Harbor, Alaska, United States
KUCB

Landslides Disrupt Community Infrastructure
Landslides threatened community water supply, transportation, and residential homes.
Ivanof Bay, Alaska, United States
Moses Tcheripanoff, Richard Buzard, George Anderson

Wolves are eating sea otters near Gustavus. What does that mean for the deer?
Biologists are investigating a surprising connection between two animals that aren’t exactly well loved in parts of Southeast. Gustavus locals suspect wolves are picking off deer at a popular hunting spot on an island near the mainland.
Gustavus, Alaska, United States
By Elizabeth Jenkins, Alaska's Energy Desk - Juneau

Humpback Whale Baby Boom Near Antarctica
Pregnancy rates in the southern oceans are high, according to a study that showed that Humpbacks are rebounding.
Western Antarctic Penninsula
Scientific America

Seabirds again washing ashore dead in Western Alaska
Birds have been reported dead or behaving strangely in communities throughout the Bering Strait region, from Shishmaref to Unalakleet and on St. Lawrence Island.

Lightning kills dog and sends tree smashing into home
A lightning strike traumatises family and killed a family dog in Te Puke.
Te Puke, Bay of Plenty Region, New Zealand
NZ Herald

Flooding lashes North Island as snow dumps fall on South Island skifields
A State of Emergency was declared in Ngongotaha and the Rotorua Lakes Council was forced to activate its Emergency Operations Centre as wet weather forced evacuations and doused most of the country in large volumes of rain..
Takaka, Tasman, New Zealand

Rare Glass Sponge Reef Smothered By Fish Farm Waste
Underwater camera captured ‘a wasteland, covered in brown sediment.’
Cecil Island Fish Farm, British Columbia, Canada
The Tyee

Alaskan Killer Whales in British Columbia
Underwater recordings confirm that a new killer whale population is poking its head into British Columbia.
Off West Coast of Haida Gwaii
Hakai Magazine

Toxic white-haired caterpillars that can cause you to vomit and have asthma attacks are taking over London
People are being warned not to touch the creatures, which are most often found in oak trees -- and to keep pets away from them, too.
London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom

Flooding in B.C. Interior prompts road closures, states of emergencies, evacuations
Flooding in the B.C. Interior from rapidly melting snowpacks has washed out roads and properties, prompted local states of emergencies, and caused more people to leave their homes in Oliver.
Oliver, British Columbia, Canada

Residents drive north on winter snow roads
The roughly 300 miles of hard-packed snow roads were constructed under the Community Winter Access Trails (CWAT) project, headed by the North Slope Borough.

Nature follows its own break-up calendar
Looking seaward over the last week from almost all points along the coasts of Norton Sound, folks have been dazzled by bright blue horizons colored by open water.

Herring fishing off to windy start
The state's largest sac roe herring fishery got off to a windy beginning. Gusts over 30 mph posed a challenge for fishermen.
KDLG

Severely iced-over cellular tower causing service disruptions in Western Alaska
A GCI cell tower in Western Alaska encapsulated in unusually thick ice and snow has caused service disruptions in villages.
Scammon Bay, Alaska, United States

16 temperature records broken around B.C.
Agassiz broke a record that goes back more than 100 years
Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada

A Hawaiian island got about 50 inches of rain in 24 hours. Scientists warn it's a sign of the future
As the people of Kauai continue to recover from a devastating storm, some scientists are warning that this was something new: the first major storm in Hawaii linked to climate change.
Hanalei, Hawaii, United States

On thin ice, North Pole camp folds after only 12 days
The ice became too thin and the cracks too many. This year’s Barneo North Pole base existed only 12 days.
Barents Observer

B.C. wildfires triggered mega thunderstorm with volcano-like effects
In the midst of B.C.'s record-breaking wildfire season, the heat from four fires triggered huge thunderstorms that sent smoke flying into the stratosphere, eventually spreading through the entire Northern Hemisphere.
Williams Lake, British Columbia, Canada

Crews rescue 2 camping groups stranded by Tuesday’s storm
One party’s camping gear was blown away in the wind. The other’s shelter was destroyed, and they couldn’t start a fire. The Rescue Coordination Center launched from Anchorage but had to turn back due to "extreme conditions".
Nikolai, Alaska, United States

Propose Banning Sale of Puffin Meat
Puffins are an endangered species, whose numbers have declined largely due to climate change and overfishing.
Reykjavík, Iceland

Rising rivers prompt flood warnings in central Sweden
The national weather service SMHI has issued warnings for 8 different counties where this winter's unusually heavy snow is now melting and flowing downstream. ...
Söderhamn, Gävleborgs län, Sweden

Strong winds batter Anchorage
One reading on the Hillside clocked winds reaching 91 miles per hour. The day saw reports of property damage, road closures and downed power lines.LEO Note: According to Rick Thoman of NWS, these are unusually high winds for April.

Windstorm slams Southcentral Alaska with gusts over 80 mph
One reading on the Hillside clocked winds reaching 91 miles per hour. The day saw reports of property damage, road closures and downed power lines.LEO Note: According to Rick Thoman of NWS, these are unusually high winds for April.
Laurel Andrews, Michelle Theriault Boots, Zaz Hollander

Hungry birds as climate change drives food 'mismatch'
Warmer springs create a 'mismatch' where hungry chicks hatch too late to feast on abundant caterpillars, new research shows.
United Kingdom
ScienceDaily

Climate change could leave Californians with 'weather whiplash'
Climate change will make for more frequent wild swings in California weather, with both more extremely dry and extremely wet years and 'weather whiplash' in between.
California, United States

Flooding slows, many roads still closed
In Northern Ostrobothnia the floods are rising faster, and local emergency services have elicited the help of the military as a precaution, in case some of the ice dams in the riverland should need to be detonated.
Seinäjoki, Etelä-Pohjanmaa, Finland

A swarming, exotic tick species is now living year round in N.J.
A tick species that was discovered for the first time in the U.S. on a Hunterdon County farm last year has survived the winter.
Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States
NJ.com

Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) Herd at Hook Lagoon
The walrus count at this location was approximately 500-1000, and looks like they are here to stay well at least for this season of time before they return to the north.

Dead Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
Dead bald eagle washes up on Larsen Bay beach

Spruce bark beetles are back with a vengeance. Here’s how to defend your trees.
There is a spruce beetle outbreak in Southcentral Alaska. Since the beetles don't emerge for a few weeks, we might as well start thinking about the problem.
Southcentral, Alaska, United States

Lobster Stocks Decline, Fishing Ban Considered
Lobster stocks around Iceland’s coast are so low a fishing ban is not out of the question.
Grundarfjordur, West, Iceland

Ski centres eye uncertain future as winters warm
Finland's ski centres are coping with shorter, milder winters by making and storing snow – costly short-term solutions that may worsen the problem in the longer term.
Kittilä, Lappi, Finland

Satellite image show mystery holes in Beaufort Sea ice
The image above shows curious holes in Arctic sea ice, located about 50 miles northwest of Canada’s Mackenzie River Delta. Guesses from readers included everything from ice broken by marine animals to breathe, to ice that had been thawed by methane hydrates. It’s a challenge to know the source of the features based on a photograph or satellite image alone, but several scientists offered their hypotheses in our April 21 Image of the Day.
NASA Earth Observatory

Vanishing caribou in U.S. a warning for Canada
Biologists flew over southern British Columbia last week to count the number of caribou in the last remaining herd that migrates from B.C. to the U.S. — and what they saw stunned them.
Stagleap Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada

Bull sharks colonize N.C.'s Pamlico Sound, prompting ominous predictions for humans
Bull sharks, an apex predator, are moving into the Pamlico Sound as a nursing habitat, and experts are crediting ocean warming as the cause.
Palmico Sound, North Carolina, United States
Charlotte Observer

'Catastrophic' overland flooding shuts down southern Alberta highway, threatens Taber homes
We have experienced since Oct. 2 a very unseasonable Alberta winter. High snowfalls, a few Chinooks and certainly we knew some time ago we were in for an interesting spring ... but this is unprecedented...
Taber, Alberta, Canada

Curious by Nature: What’s bubbling in front of Jon Reiswig’s home?
For a few decades now, retired surgeon Jon Reiswig has lived with a perplexing oddity: the water in front of his North Douglas home constantly bubbles.
Juneau Empire

Climate change opening up the door for invasive species in the North
Invasive species are a more important issue as increasingly warm winters and wetter summers help grasslands and forests in the North grow like never before, changing the very fabric of the North’s ecosystem.
Paulatuk, Northwest Territories, Canada

Study finds wolverines in surprisingly high densities in southwestern B.C.
Wolverines are thought of as shadowy solitary carnivores, few and far between as they wander B.C.'s
Upper Lillooet River drainage, British Columbia, Canada

Sargassum on the south coast
Newport, Curacao
Curaçao Chronicle

Ottawa spends $5.7 million on deer eradication in Haida Gwaii featuring New Zealand sharpshooters
The federal government is spending $5.7 million over three years to eradicate introduced deer on six islands on Haida Gwaii.
Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada

Street dust impacting air quality across Finland
Not only is pollen is beginning to spread, but road gravel dust and studded tyres grinding the tarmac can also cause particulates that cause breathing difficulties. There are a few ways to deal with the dust, however.
Espoo, Uusimaa, Finland

Nunavut hunter believed drowned after falling through ice during polar bear hunt
According to an RCMP news release, the hunter was part of a group of five men hunting for polar bears. The group was 65 kilometres southeast of Clyde River when the man fell through the ice at about 9:30 p.m.
Clyde River, Nunavut, Canada

In new cautionary approach, Maine shellfish areas will be closed at first sign of toxins
Previously, regulators monitored the presence of certain toxins and shut down fishing when they exceeded safe limits.
Boothbay, Maine, United States

‘Bachelor herds’ of walrus gather near Port Heiden, where they haven’t been seen in decades
The herds are increasingly moving around in Bristol Bay, perhaps seeking new feeding grounds, a biologist said.

Shifting species composition of sealions at Hornby Island
Flora Islet, British Columbia, Canada

Bivalves recently cracked by sea otters (Enhydra lutris) indicating re-occupation
We discovered numerous large marine bivalve shells (and two chiton shells) that had been cracked recently by sea otters. Ocean View Beach is around the southern extent of Vancouver Island and back again north in the Strait of Georgia. The present observation is evidence of sea otters traveling into the Strait of Georgia.
Island View Beach, British Columbia, Canada
Tom Okey, Theo Okolowicz, Phoebe Okey-Dobie

Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) Haul-out On Port Heiden Beach
Walrus in Bristol Bay and Port Heiden are not uncommon in summer. The fact they are present in April is unusual and residents believe factors such as the lack of sea ice, lack of food and warming ocean temperatures may be the reason.
Jaclyn Christensen, Erica Lujan, Moses Tcheripanoff

No slush cup this year at Eaglecrest
Eaglecrest is forgoing its annual Slush Cup competition due to low snow levels. The event was canceled in 2015 and 2016 for the same reason, but made a return last year.

2018 Weather, climate disasters already costing record amounts
So far in 2018, there have been three climate and weather disasters that have cost $1 billion or more.
United States
Newsweek

Ask a Climatologist: Snow melt around the state is right on schedule
An early melt-out date can make for an especially bad wildfire season, but this year, it’s right on schedule for much of the state. Listen now
Annie Feidt, Alaska's Energy Desk - Anchorage

This pink salmon swam farther up the Mackenzie River than ever recorded
Two pink salmon have been found near Fort Good Hope, N.W.T., 260 kilometres farther up the Mackenzie River than ever reported.
Tsiigehtchic, Northwest Territories, Canada

It took 1 degree of warming to change Arctic lake's ecosystem
Climate change could be altering northern ecosystems more quickly and profoundly than anyone surmised, suggests a study that focused on a large Arctic lake.
Lake Hazen
CBC North

Hunter angry, says resource officers impeded caribou harvest
A hunter from Fort Resolution, N.W.T., is angered by what he claims is the harassment of caribou hunters by officers from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Fort Resolution, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC North

A respected outdoorsman, this 26-year-old was traveling to get firewood when he disappeared
When Jazmin James hadn’t returned to Tununak by Easter Sunday as planned, the family reported him missing. His snowmachine was found on sea ice, partly submerged in water.
Tununak, Alaska, United States

High and dry: Destruction Bay dock rendered useless by declining water levels - Yukon News
Glacial changes have caused Kluane Lake water levels to drop so low the dock is unusable.
Destruction Bay, Yukon, Canada
Yukon News

'Extreme' Changes Underway in Some of Antarctica’s Biggest Glaciers
Antarctic Glaciers
Inside Climate News

Parasite (Taenia krabbei) in Caribou Meat
Muscle tapeworm cysts in caribou meat.

Drone footage shows impact of climate change off east coast of Newfoundland
Footage shot across the North Atlantic captured a stunning view of accumulating sea ice over Brighton, Newfoundland, but, according to researchers, also serves as stark reminder of the impact of climate change.

Abnormally large basking shark groups spotted off Canada’s east coast
Coastal northwest Atlantic Ocean

Arctic Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus parryii) Adapting to Warming Temperatures
Warmer winter temperatures are bringing Arctic Ground Squirrels out of hibernation
Twin Hills, Alaska, United States

Outlook shows no break in the heat
With the average temperature hovering north of negative this winter, Utqiaġvik and much of the Arctic once again broke records with a season that didn't match up to historic expectations.
The Arctic Sounder

Thin Sea Ice, Permafrost Thaw, and Earth's Rotational Axis
Thinner sea ice and melting permafrost. Is it related to changes in the Earth's axis?
Wainwright, Alaska, United States
Mike Brubaker, Erica Lujan, Moses Tcheripanoff

As Sitkans wait for roe, news of sickness from herring eggs in Canada
Typically, cholera is associated with tropical destinations. But recently, the bacteria that can cause the disease was found in subsistence herring eggs in British Columbia. As Southeast Alaska tribes get ready to gather herring eggs, it’s left some people wondering about the future.
Elizabeth Jenkins, Alaska's Energy Desk - Juneau

Most Expensive Weather Disaster of 2018: a $3.9 Billion Drought in Argentina and Uruguay by Dr. Jeff Masters | Category 6
A severe lack of rainfall during over southern South America during the summer of 2017 - 2018 has led to the worst drought in decades over portions of Argentina and Uruguay.
Argentina and Uruguay
Weather Underground

Water Pooling Around Houses and Flooding Ice Cellars
Permafrost thaw is affecting houses, roads, and ice cellars.
Wainwright, Alaska, United States

Sargassum is blamed for dead fish on Ambergris Caye
The thick accumulation of these sea plants on the coastline is apparently causing detrimental effects on certain fish species as residents have reported dead fish along the shores.
San Pedro Town, Belize, Belize
The San Pedro Sun

Bethel highway repair begins as warm winter destroys state roads across Alaska
Starting Thursday, the Department of Transportation will begin repairing Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway. The warm winter has wreaked similar havoc on highways across Alaska.

Study reveals startling new evidence of effects of climate change in the Arctic
New research led by U of T Mississauga geographer Igor Lehnherr provides startling evidence that remote areas in Canada's Arctic region—once thought to be beyond the reach of human impact—are responding rapidly to warming global temperatures.
Lake Hazen
Phys.org

Black bears are waking up in Anchorage. Here’s how to get your yard and home ready.
“If black bears are starting to stir, brown bears could be, too,” a state Fish and Game official said.

Half of Alberta's Boreal Forest Could Disappear due to Fires, Climate Change
If you factor in wildlife changes, it could be even more.
Fort Mcmurray, Alberta, Canada
HuffPost Canada

Vancouver Island cholera outbreak 'a unique situation,' health officials say
The cases in B.C. have been traced back to consumption of herring spawn, a treasured traditional food source for First Nations throughout Vancouver Island.
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada

In Alaska, a town threatened by climate change gets federal funding to relocate
Newtok, Alaska, United States
ThinkProgress

Cholera found in herring eggs from Oceanside area
NANAIMO — Island Health and the BC Centre for Disease Control are warning anyone who's eaten herring eggs recently to stay hydrated and safely dispose of any remaining eggs.
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
NanaimonewsNOW

Mass vaccination against anthrax continues on Yamal tundra
More than 658,000 reindeer are up for vaccination in order to prevent another outbreak of the deadly bacteria infection.
Салехард, Ямало-Ненецкий АО, Russia
The Independent Barents Observer

Third ringed seal found in Unalaska sent for rehabilitation
After admitting a sick ringed seal from Unalaska, veterinarians at the Alaska SeaLife Center are cautiously optimistic about his chances for recovery.
KTOO

Erosion is creeping toward Alaska’s coastal radar sites
The Air Force is trying to better understand the erosion bearing down on its valuable radar sites.
Kaktovik, Alaska, United States

Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea)
A rare sighting of an elusive wetland species.
Austin, Texas, United States

Vessel saves stranded boy – Coast Guard gives ice tips
Sea ice around Helsinki becomes more precarious as spring draws near.
Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland

N.L. polar bears damage snowmobiles, hot tub as they head north early
People in southern Labrador and along Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula are being cautioned to be on the lookout for the bears, who have already begun to move north.
Saint Anthony, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Burning Coal for Survival in the World’s Coldest Capital
Many residents of Ulan Bator, Mongolia, use coal-burning stoves during the winter months when staying warm is a matter of survival. But the pollution is hazardous to their health.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Rockfall on Reynisfjara Back Sand Beach
Warming temperatures have caused large stones to break off the cliff at Reynisfjara beach, South Iceland.
Mýrdalshreppur, Suðurland, Iceland

Avalanche Danger: Homes, Factory Evacuated
Considerable danger of avalanches in East Iceland has led to evacuations in the town of Seyðisfjörður.
Seyðisfjörður, Austurland, Iceland

Tribes plow longest Kuskokwim ice road ever
The Kuskokwim River now has its longest ice road ever, despite having the warmest winter on record.
Crooked Creek, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media / KYUK Bethel

Easter Island Is Eroding
Rising ocean levels are causing waves to break on the statues and platforms built a thousand years ago. The island risks losing its cultural heritage. Again.
Easter Island, Chile

Many Ringed Seals (Pusa hispida) Hauling Out
Above normal than average seal strandings in the Aleutians.
Chris Price, Moses Tcheripanoff, Melissa Good

Rapid Arctic warming is increasing the frequency of blizzards in U.S. Northeast
While the northeastern is recovering from the third major winter storm this month, the Arctic is experiencing one of the warmest winters on record.
New York, New York, United States
Radio Canada / Eye on the Arctic

As Alaskan Waters Warm, Market Squid Move North
Opalescents, also known as market squid, are showing up in waters previously considered too cold for them, and fishermen are paying attention.
Petersburg, Alaska, United States
Undark

Alaska restricts king salmon fishing in Susitna, Little Su and upper Inlet
Fishing businesses in Mat-Su warned that the rules could hurt the state's tourism economy.
Knik-Fairview, Alaska, United States

Essential research: One dead seabird at a time
Citizen science programs integral to supporting coastal research
West Coast, United States
Chinook Observer

Water flowing out of Lake Ontario hit record high last month
Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River water levels are expected to stay above average into the spring, following record levels last year that led to extreme flooding in Central Canada.
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
National Observer

Die-off of fur seal pups attributed to mites, pneumonia and changing sea temperatures
Morris Animal Foundation-funded researchers uncovered several key factors contributing to a die-off of South American fur seal pups, including mites, pneumonia and sea surface temperature. The findings, published in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases, help scientists better understand the link between environmental factors and health.
Quellón, Los Lagos, Chile
Phys.Org

Governor calls for federal disaster declaration for Pacific cod fishery
A disaster declaration could make the fishery eligible for federal relief funds, although who specifically would receive money would be figured out later.
Gulf of Alaska, Northeast Pacific Ocean
KTOO

More than 50,000 starlings euthanized in the Okanagan last year
An Okanagan program was designed 15 years ago to control the invasive species of starlings
Okanagan, British Columbia, Canada
Port Alberni Valley News

70 per cent decline in capelin not due to fishing
Scientists with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans say late spawning for capelin had a significant impact on numbers.
Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Flock of European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) Sighted on ANTHC Campus
A flock of European Starlings sighted at a mid-town Anchorage building.
Moses Tcheripanoff, Tammy Davis, Verena Gill, Tim Thomas

Hummingbird sighted on SW-Side of Kachemak Bay
Very early for a hummingbird, especially in a non-urban area without feeders.
Seldovia, Alaska, United States
Moses Tcheripanoff, Courtney Amundson, Jan Yaeger

Sperm whale in the Salish Sea
One of the most intense sounds emitted by animals on Earth is the echolocation click of the sperm whale.  When Yukusam the 13-14 m lone male sperm whale swam through the Salish Sea last month, he was recorded on a suite of hydrophones including the Orcasound Lab live hydrophone in Haro Strait and simultaneously the…
Johnston Strait
OrcaSound

More than 230,000 remain without power in Mass.; could take days to restore - The Boston Globe
The storm dropped more than a foot of snow overnight in some places, making for a messy Thursday morning commute. And the nor’easter isn’t gone yet.
Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States
Felicia Gans, John R. Ellement, Andy Rosen and Travis Andersen

First the rabbits disappeared. Now Seward’s coyotes are killing dogs.
Coyotes have killed at least three dogs in Seward, and police are trying to trap the predators before they get more.
Seward, Alaska, United States

Only 12 Vaquita Porpoises Remain
Environmental science and conservation news
Northern Gulf of California, Mexico
Conservation news

First case in Finland: Elk dies due to chronic wasting disease
The death of an elk in eastern Finland has been blamed on chronic wasting disease, which has never been seen in the country before.
Kuhmo, Kainuu, Finland

"Perfect Storm" Has North Coast Marine Ecosystem Reeling, Abalone in Crisis
In just a few short years, the Northern California waters stretching from Sonoma to Southern Humboldt have undergone a dramatic transformation, with stretches stripped bare of their once varied marine life in a phenomenon known as "urchin barren."
North Coast Journal

It’s 32 degrees on the Iditarod Trail, and middle-of-the-pack mushers and their dogs are getting wet
For a March evening in the Interior Alaska village of Nikolai, Tuesday was warm.
Nikolai, Alaska, United States

Sask. researchers say they can now better predict storms caused by rising temperatures
Researchers say they've come up with a way to better predict severe storms and protect infrastructure from damage caused by increasing temperatures in Western Canada.
Western Canada

Heat shockwaves in the highest North
The archipelagos in the northern Barents Sea and Kara Sea were up to 11 centigrades warmer than average last winter.
Pevek, Chaunsky District, Chukotka Autonomous District, Russia

Baltic countries not doing enough to stop algae suffocating the sea - Radio Sweden
Sweden and its neighbouring countries are not meeting targets to save the Baltic Sea, and one of the people involved in coordinating the work tells us why it is so hard to stop problems lilke fertilizer run-off.
Baltic Sea
Sveriges Radio

Scientists don't know why ice seals are appearing in ice-free Unalaska
There are plenty of seals in Unalaska, but ringed seals -- who make their homes on the ice -- are rare.
KTOO

N.W.T. resident spots 'awe-inspiring' landslide that clogged river, creating a new lake
A massive landslide that was first discovered last fall blocked a waterway west of the Mackenzie River. Scientists say it's something that could happen more often in the territory as the climate warms up.
Johnson River, Northwest Territories, Canada

February was coldest since ‘94
Weather Service expects chilly weather to continue through March.

Aleutian volcano erupts, sending ash cloud miles into the sky
Monitors picked up a small explosion and ash cloud from Mount Cleveland volcano on Friday morning.
Chuginadak Islands, Alaska, United States

At least six dead as nor’easter slams East Coast with violent wind, rain, snow and floods
From Massachusetts to Virginia, the East Coast was pounded by a storm that threatened to break records. Nearly two million people lost power.
Baltimore County, Maryland, United States
By Karen Weintraub, Bill Hewitt, Amy B Wang, Eli Rosenberg & Keith McMillan

Open water wreaks havoc at Little Diomede
Last Tuesday, February 20, residents of Little Diomede have seen the impossible. Instead of looking out at a frozen seascape of ice, they witnessed open water and high surf crashing onto the shores and coming up beyond the high water line.
Little Diomede, Alaska, United States

The real ‘Beast from the East’ - early Spring scenes from Siberia
Winds in Norilsk are gusting at up to 20 metres per second, with temperatures at around -23C. Some plants in the city have given their staff days off.
Южно-Сахалинск, Сахалинская область, Russia
The Siberian Times

'Extremely slippery' hillsides likely cause of death for 3 Yukon bison
An unusual weather pattern throughout the winter caused a thick layer of ice on hillsides.
Haines Junction, Yukon, Canada

Cold brings record numbers to Stockholm homeless shelter
With temperatures nudging -14C on Tuesday night, a record 170 homeless people came to shelter at a church in Stockholm.

Uruguay declares agricultural emergency due to drought
Uruguay's government on Wednesday declared an agricultural emergency in the drought-stricken northern part of the country and activated the Agricultural Emergency Fund (FAE), which provides no-interes. Uruguay declares agricultural emergency due to drought | World | English edition | Agencia EFE
Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
EFE

Police urge motorists in snowy south to stay at home
Heavy snow and high winds continued to cause travel chaos for south-eastern parts of Sweden, Wednesday.
Eslöv, Skåne, Sweden

Bad weather blocks cleanup of oil spill in fragile waters near Kodiak
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Kodiak flew over the area of an oil spill in Shuyak Strait on Wednesday afternoon, but weather continued to hamper response efforts, the Coast Guard said.
Shuyak Strait, Alaska, United States

Storms pummel Bering Sea islands after ‘crazy’ ice melt-off
Recent storms and warm seas melted a vast stretch of ice in the Bering Sea, leaving some islands surrounded by water when they should be locked in ice.
Diomede, Alaska, United States

Alaska state veterinarian warns of emerging disease
The No. 1 problem is ticks, according to Gerlach. Different tick species have been turing up in recent years in Alaska, apparently because they now are able to live and thrive in the current warmer climate around the circumpolar north.
Alaska, United States
Veterinary Practice News

North Pole surges above freezing in the dead of winter, stunning scientists
A freak warming around the North Pole is sending a blast of Arctic cold over Europe in a sign of wacky weather that may happen more often with man-made global warming, scientists said Monday.
Geodetic North

Climate Change Could Ruin California's Farming Industry
As its vital snowpack shrinks and droughts intensify, Californias giant $50 billion agricultural industry is at a crossroads: how to keep feeding the nation while adapting to the reality of …
California's Central Valley, United States
Courthouse News Service

No more ‘Kings of the Columbia’: Chinook salmon much smaller these days
Like its old-growth trees, the Northwest’s big, old chinook salmon are largely gone, a new study finds, with implications for Puget Sound’s critically endangered southern resident killer whales.
Columbia River, United States
The Seattle Times

Tick-infested moose a 1st for Cree territory in Northern Quebec
A parasite wreaking havoc on moose populations in southern Quebec has been found for the first time in Cree territory, prompting local officials to ask hunters to be on the lookout. Winter ticks thrive in the shorter, warmer winters, which have become more prevalent in recent years.
Nemaska, Quebec, Canada

Snow Falls in Rome, and the Eternal City Takes a Holiday
With schools and parks in the city closed for the day, and hundreds of shops shuttered, many Romans took the unexpected blanket of white in cheerful stride.
Rome, Latium, Italy
The New York Times

Svalbard’s ‘Doomsday’ seed vault marks 10th anniversary with upgrades to protect it from climate change - Arctic Today
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault celebrates its first decade in operation by accepting its millionth sample—and a grant for work to keep those samples safe despite melting permafrost.
Svalbard, Norwegian Archipelago, Arctic Ocean
Arctic Today

North Atlantic right whales may face extinction after no new births recorded
Declining fertility and rising mortality, exacerbated by fishing industry, prompts experts to warn whales could be extinct by 2040
Gulf of Maine

Rome covered in rare snowfall
Roma, Roma, Italy

Sea lions wash up dead in northern Chile and Peru
Marine researchers have found more than 100 dead sea lions -- most of them newborns -- washed ashore along a relatively small peninsula in northern Chile over the past three months.

Storm Related Erosion
Without ice to provide protection from storm waves, Port Heiden has lost the old town road.

In Western Alaska, there's water where there should be ice
Last week, social media across Western Alaska lit up as residents posted photos and videos of open water where, normally, there's ice.
Diomede, Alaska, United States

Most King Penguins Could Vanish by the End of the Century
As global temperatures rise, the lives of countless plants and animals are changing in response. That includes king penguins, which a new study predicts will see profound, climate-driven changes in their numbers and the location of their breeding grounds over the next century.
Possession Island, Crozet Archipelago
Earther

Siberian 'Beast from the East' keeps Swedish kids inside
A Siberian cold front has brought Sweden unusually cold temperatures for late February.
Malmo, Skåne, Sweden

Cold weather means prime pelts for Yukon trappers
Trapping has its good years and bad years. After a few dismal ones the Yukon Trappers Association says the territory is finally seeing some prime pelts this year. It's all thanks to recent cold weather.

Another cold week in Finland
The Finnish Meteorological Institute has issued a warning of very cold temperatures from Monday afternoon to Wednesday morning, February 26 to 28.
Jämsä, Central Finland, Finland

State veterinarian urges farmers to watch for new diseases in Alaska wildlife, livestock
State Veterinarian Bob Gerlach told a crowd that turned out Saturday for the 46th Annual Delta Farm Forum that diseases that afflict livestock and wildlife are increasingly showing up in Alaska. Listen now
KUAC TV 9

Beech booming as climate changes, and that's bad for forests
A group of scientists says beech trees are dominating the woodlands of the northeastern United States as the climate changes, and that could be bad news for the forests.
northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada
Myrtle Beach Online

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

Fifty-Three Thousand Salmon Die at West Fjords Fish Farm
Fifty-three thousand salmon died while being transferred out of a damaged marine pen at a fish farming facility in the West Fjords.
Westfjords, Iceland

Shrimp Found While Collecting Badarkies
I have never found live shrimp before in King Cove while subsisting for Chiton's not sure if it is unusual or significant.
King Cove, Alaska, United States

Subsistence hunters are adapting to a warming Alaska with new, high-tech tools
The weather was warm and the ice was late in coming, so Dennis Davis set up a piece of equipment unknown to his Inupiaq forebears: his drone.
TheWorld

Left to Louisiana’s Tides, a Village Fights for Time
For the community of Jean Lafitte, the question is less whether it will succumb to the sea than when — and how much the public should invest in artificially extending its life.
Jean Lafitte, Louisiana, United States

Skimpy snowpack drags down winter economy in West & changing climate could make it worse
Winter sports tourism pumps about $11 billion in direct spending into the U.S. economy each year but is at risk of being decimated by climate change, according to the advocacy group Protect Our Win…
Ski Resorts, Colorado, United States
The Denver Post

Lynx attacks leashed dog
A woman living in an apartment complex in Thunder Bay took her dog Molly out to do her business and as she was reaching for the apartment door to go back inside she felt the leash go taut.
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
Boundary Waters Blog

Snowy winter is return to “normal” weather conditions
It seems like digging out from snow and some more snow is all Nomeites do this winter.

Arctic temperatures soar 45 degrees above normal, flooded by extremely mild air on all sides
This latest temperature spike is another striking indicator of the Arctic's rapidly changing climate.
Cape Morris Jesup, Greenland

Revolutionary NASA technique captures melting Antarctic ice like never before
The seven-year-long work on the system shows that West Antarctic ice sheets are melting at a rapid rate.
Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf
International Business Times UK

Ocean Ice Is All Gone
Rough seas and moving sea ice.
Sharon Nayokpuk, Hajo Eicken, Richard L Thoman Jr

Flood Sweeps Away Ring Road
Flooding has destroyed a section of Ring Road One in East Iceland.
Hofn, East, Iceland

Canada’s Outdoor Rinks Are Melting. So Is a Way of Life.
Canada loves its ice, and outdoor hockey is part of the nation's cultural identity. So what happens when winters get too warm for backyard rinks?
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Denver Drops 72 Degrees In 40 Hours, Lands In All-Time Top Temp Swings
Sitting at a mile above sea level and in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, Denver is known for having an extreme climate. But the most recent temperature swing ranked as one of the biggest ever observed.
Denver, Colorado, United States
CBS Denver

Grand River watershed flooding causes several road closures
Officials say the combination of warm temperatures and rainfall is beginning to trigger significant runoff into the Grand River watershed.
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

Animals have stopped turning white for winter in alarming climate change trend
When there's no snow, there's no need for their winter whites.
The Yukon Territory
Newsweek

Mushroom ascidian (Distaplia occidentalis) Found on Beach
It's about the size of a dinner plate and has a rubbery texture, was told it’s a sea cucumber but I’m not sure.
Tom Okey, Tammy Davis, Erica Lujan, Scott Anderson

Climate change spells turbulent times ahead for air travel
From rising temperatures preventing take-off to rising seas flooding runways, aviation needs to adapt to changes already grounding flights around the world
Phoenix, Arizona, United States

An unfrozen North
The world’s permafrost holds vast stores of carbon. What happens when it thaws?
Toolik Lake Field Station
High Country News

A Lesser Queenfish (Scomberoides lysan) near Sydney
Potential Range Extension. Identification verified by Tom Davis, NSW Department of Primary Industries. Depth: 2 m.
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Redmap

Rare, ‘weird-looking’ 70-pound frozen fish washes ashore in Haines
As the tide ebbed down the beach outside his house Friday, Harry Rietze discovered a mysterious sea creature that one scientific paper described as a puzzling fish with soft bones.

Polar bear hunts a fox hiding in a barrel
Usually polar bears feed on seals and young walruses, or scavenge the carcasses of whales. If these are in short supply they kill reindeer, muskox, geese and apparently, fox.
Sabetta

AK: Rising populations, threat of disease prompt renewed interest in bat research
Bats are a pretty low priority for most Alaskan biologists, but that could be changing due to a recent uptick in the creature’s population. Add to that a disease that’s been killing millions of bats in the lower 48, and Alaska might be taking note with the rest of the nation very soon. Listen now

Sperm whale spotted in B.C. strait for 1st time in decades
A sperm whale has been confirmed on Vancouver Island's eastern coast for the first time since 1984.
Johnstone Strait

What the swift collapse of some Labrador caribou can tell us about endangered species
It could have been a golden opportunity for research and harvesting, but government inaction led to total collapse of caribou on an island off Labrador.
George's Island, Labrador, Canada

Changing climate forces mushers to break new trails
The route of the Yukon Quest traverses Lake Laberge for the first time in decades, and that's not the only dog sled race affected by the changing climate.
Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada

Arctic birds, seals and reindeer killed by marine plastics; pollution expected to rise
Researchers say the concentration of plastic waste in the European Arctic is now comparable or even higher than in more urban and populated areas.
Svalbard, Svalbard, Norway
Radio Australia

Unseasonably early daffodils prompt wish for cold weather on B.C. farm
Longview Farms just north of Victoria says mild weather a problem for seasonal farming

If you live in Florida, climate change is already affecting your health
Climate change is already impacting Floridians health, doctors say, and it's going to get worse in the future. That's why Florida doctors and nurses formed Florida Clinicians for Climate Action, an educational and activist group dedicated to teaching people and politicians about the dangers of climate change on human health.
Florida, United States
Miami Herald

Large Earthquake Detected In Öræfajökull
The area around Öræfajökull glacier continues to show increased activity as the largest earthquake detected in the area, M3,6 on the Richter scale, occurred there this morning.
Öræfajökull Volcano, Iceland

Sounds of Skating on Thin Ice
This small lake outside Stockholm, Sweden, emits otherworldly sounds as Mårten Ajne skates over its precariously thin, black ice.
Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
National Geographic

Thawing Arctic permafrost could release massive amounts of mercury - Arctic Today
New research shows that permafrost soils hold massive quantities of mercury — nearly twice as much as is held in all other soils in the world, plus the mercury in the oceans and the atmosphere —
Arctic Today

Unwanted visitor - Sargassum seaweed
Barbados’ most unwanted visitor has returned to its shores. The dreaded Sargassum seaweed is back. Since 2015 an influx of the unwelcome brown micro-algae has proven to be a major headache for the tourism industry. The seaweed, which invaded a number of beaches in Barbados, caused an awful stench, as the vegetable matter rotted after …
River Bay, Saint Lucy Parish, Barbados
Barbados Today

Skin freezing temperatures in Rankin Inlet close schools
The extreme cold is about 15 degrees colder than what is normal for this time of the year in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. 'I don't remember the last time we actually closed due to weather. This is a bit of an extreme'
Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada

Athletes could be affected as freezing Winter Olympics awaits
With only two days left until the Winter Olympics start in South Korea, there's one topic that keeps popping up among the people who have made it there. The Cold Weather
Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea

Northern Lampfish (Stenobrachius leucopsarus) Found on the Beach at Letnikov Cove
Northern Lampfish washed up along the beach at Letnikov Cove

Coldest January In Decades
The average temperature in Iceland this January was colder than it has been in the last decade.
Iceland

Researcher blames lack of ice on Baltic Sea for southern Finland's messy winter
The Finnish researcher says the source of southern Finland's unusually slippery roads and messy snow this winter is very likely due to warm air from the sea.
Hanko, Uusimaa, Finland

Saimaa seal population on the rise in Finland
Recent heavy snowfall and large drifts have created ideal conditions for the dens where the endangered Saimaa ringed seal raise their young, and a record number of pups may be born this year. The freshwater Saimaa ringed seal is one of the most endangered seal species in the world.
Lake Saimaa, South Karelia, Finland

How the Antarctic Sun Creates Breathtaking Optical Effects
A fine haze of ice particles transformed this landscape into an otherworldly scene
South Pole
Smithsonian - SMARTNEWS

Utility Poles Leaning
Leaning utility poles in south Anchorage

Ice roads and tundra travel: Rural Arctic access complicated by warmer winters
While industry has had to adapt to changes, many locals are still struggling to find a new normal amidst the shifting seasons.

Rural access complicated by warmer winters
Late December and early January starts to the off-road season have become normal as warmer temperatures continue to mark the winter months across most of the Arctic. While industry has had to adapt to changes, many locals are still struggling to find a new normal amidst the shifting seasons.
Utqiagvik, Alaska, United States

Arctic sees temporary return to colder temperatures
The Arctic Sounder - Serving the Northwest Arctic and the North Slope
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Snowstorm beats European record
Half a meter of snow fell in the Vasternorrland region of Sweden, Thursday, the largest snowfall measured in Europe yesterday.
Näsåker, Västernorrland, Sweden

Amid Shrinking Sea Ice, Hunters Race To Adapt
As snow machines zoomed past, Dennis Davis set up his new drone. According to Davis, blue ice is more solid than white. Those are areas hunters can travel across more safely as they search for marine mammal prey.

2017-2018 Minke Whale Unusual Mortality Event along the Atlantic Coast | NOAA Fisheries
Since January 2017, elevated minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) mortalities have occurred along the Atlantic coast from Maine through South Carolina.
NOAA Fisheries

Over 400 Sheep Found in Mountains
Over 400 sheep have been gathered from up in the mountains in East Iceland this winter after being left behind during sheep gathering.
Reydarfjordur, East, Iceland

Dangerously Low on Water, Cape Town Now Faces ‘Day Zero’
One of Africa’s richest cities is threatening to turn off the taps to its four million residents, cutting off homes and most businesses.
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
The New York Times
Norimitsu Onishi and Somini Sengupta (The Daily Maverick)

Shifting ground causes problems for Whitehorse office building
A large retail and office building in downtown Whitehorse has shifted so much in just a few years that its elevator is now out of service.

Shellfish poisoning of dogs confirmed
Tests reveal concentrations of toxins in the shellfish the dogs ate was up to 27 times the safe limit.
Norwich, England, United Kingdom

MetService: It's going to get hotter, New Zealand warned
The dial will be turned up even more on the summer heat at the start of next week.
Waiau, Canterbury Region, New Zealand

Coroner's warning after Christchurch MS patient dies in soaring heat
Coroner warning after heat-related death.
Christchurch, Canterbury Region, New Zealand

Two bears were badly burned in wildfires, and fish skin helped heal them
Veterinarians in California use tilapia skin to treat burns on bears injured during wildfires.
Summerland, California, United States

Video: The oceans are changing. Can crabs adapt?
At a lab in Kodiak, researchers are working to understand whether crabs can adapt to ocean acidification.
Eric Keto and Rachel Waldholz, Alaska's Energy Desk

Chefornak bands together to combat climate change
This is not the first time this village has faced the threat of erosion and flooding, but relocating won’t be as easy as it was last time.
Chefornak, Alaska, United States

Snowy and windy in the north, wet and dangerously slippery elsewhere
Rain and rising temperatures have brought warnings of extremely slippery conditions in other areas.

Endangered Orcas Are Starving. Should We Start Feeding Them?
Washington state officials have proposed a new tack to save the Pacific Northwest's critically endangered orca population. Their idea is to boost salmon
Puget Sound, Washington, United States
NW News Network

Bird of the Year: Endangered pochard population in steep decline
BirdLife Finland reports that Finnish populations of the common pochardhave plummeted by 80 percent in 20 years.
Pori, Satakunta, Finland

Is There A Ticking Time Bomb Under The Arctic?
Just what exactly is permafrost? And what is happening now that it's warming up? To find out, we enter the Arctic Circle's secret world of ice and frozen history.
Northern Alaska, United States
NPR

Video: The oceans are changing. Can crabs adapt?
Ocean acidification threatens some of Alaska’s most lucrative crab fisheries. But there’s one ray of hope: it’s possible that crabs might be able to adapt to the changing oceans. The big question scientists are researching at Bob Foy’s lab in Kodiak is – will they have enough time?
Shelikof Strait, Alaska, United States
Eric Keto, Alaska's Energy Desk - Anchorage

Roads prove deadly for reindeer in 2018
Twice as many reindeer have been killed on the roads in northern Sweden this month compared to the same period last year.
Tallåsen, Västerbotten, Sweden

Fierce storm drops a foot of snow on Anchorage in 24 hours
The storm that walloped Southcentral Alaska also left about 32 inches of snow in Moose Pass and 30 in Seward.

SW Finland faces worst winter flooding in 13 years
Packed ice crystals have pushed up water levels on the Kokemäki River, soaking some buildings in Huittinen and Pori.
Huittinen, Satakunta, Finland

4 mushers scratch due to icy conditions in Kuskokwim 300 sled dog race
Four teams had scratched as of 7 p.m. Saturday because of the icy conditions, said Kuskokwim 300 race director Madelene Reichard. "It's the same thing for all of them," Reichard said. "The dogs aren't used to running on the ice, and people were wanting to keep their dogs healthy."

In the Alaska Arctic, more rain may mean fewer musk oxen
Winter rain makes it more difficult for the animals to feed, particularly pregnant females, researchers found.
Wrangel Island

Europe storm: Germany in huge clean-up as trains run again
Three people died earlier in the Netherlands in accidents caused by hurricane-strength winds.
Leipzig, Sachsen, Germany

Trail Observations from Kuskokwim 300
Due to consistent above average winter temperatures, there are many known and developing open holes on the river. I was on the trail working at the Bogus Creek Checkpoint. Most of the trail had no snow cover, and the majority of the race was run on glare ice over the tundra.
Kuskokwim River, Alaska, United States

Erratic weather bursts fuel line on Young Road
Homeowner Bart Henderson headed back to Haines from Mexico after a fuel-feed line from a heating oil tank to a furnace burst and potentially leaked. “We’ve got a pretty good idea that the cause of the leak was from the hard freeze and then the warm weather,” Pikul said. “There was some frost heaving of the ground and it compromised the feed line.”
Chilkat Valley News

Deadly storm hits Netherlands and Germany
A fierce storm sweeping across northern Europe kills eight people and halts Dutch and German trains.
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Alaska Board of Fisheries navigates ‘uncharted territory’ for Southeast’s king salmon
The Alaska Board of Fisheries faces some tough decisions this week. One of those is how to conserve dwindling king salmon stocks in a way that won’t financially cripple Southeast salmon fishermen.

Invasive species are still rare in the Arctic — but that could soon change
Environmental and economic changes could make it easier for non-native plants and animals to gain a foothold in the North.
Katla Volcano, South, Iceland
Arctic Now

Arctic in January - No Sea Ice
Residents use drones to show unusual sea ice conditions along the Chukchi coast.

What caused the Blob? Scientists conclude, we did
In 2014, a warm water system — known as the Blob — wreaked havoc in the waters of the Gulf of Alaska. The relationship between extreme weather events and climate change is complicated. But scientists are getting closer to figuring out how the two are linked.
Northeast Pacific Ocean
Elizabeth Jenkins, Alaska's Energy Desk - Juneau

How climate change could make the threat a tiny pathogen poses to northern Canada a lot worse
T. gondii infection in people was found to be associated with drinking water from home water tanks where T. gondii parasites remained, clinging to the walls—so cleaning of these water tanks would be one way to reduce infection.
Kuujjuaq, Quebec, Canada
Arctic Now

Open water turns Kuskokwim 300 into a 2-lap race for the first time
For the first time, the race will run two laps to its halfway point and back. Mushers agree it’s the safest way to run the race, but it could present challenges.

Robin Spotted In Chuathbaluk
Mid-January robin sighting in Chuathbaluk.
Chuathbaluk, Alaska, United States

As ice layers get thinner, ship sets another Arctic speed record
Favorable ice conditions meant that the ship »Baltic Winter» spent only about five and a half days on its voyage across the Northern Sea Route.
Novaya Zemlya, Архангельская область, Russia

Rare bird visit to Cranbrook sparks BC-wide interest
A female northern cardinal has made Cranbrook her home, and is drawing birders from all over BC
Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada
Cranbrook Daily Townsman

Earthquake Reported SW of Gambell, AK
Earthquake in low-probability area in Alaska

Warm Weather And Lady Bugs
The weather was the warmest I’ve ever seen for this time of year and never seen insects like ladybugs out this time of year.

High winter winds and warm temperatures
We've had so much wind this winter, on the 15th of January, the winds were warm!!!!!!
Golovin, Alaska, United States

Female Sparrow (Emberizidae) Seen In Pedro Bay
Mid-January sparrow sighting in Pedro Bay
Pedro Bay, Alaska, United States

Robin (Turdus migratorius) Spotted
The early arrival of robins in southeast Alaska.

Detah ice road ties record for latest opening
The ice road between Detah and Yellowknife is opening Friday, a date that ties a decades-old record.
Yellowknife Ice Road, NWT

Western Alps buried in meters of fresh snow
The western Alps of northwestern Italy, southeastern France and extreme southern Switzerland received enormous amounts of fresh snow over the past few days.
Rosières-en-Santerre, Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie, France
Severe Weather Europe

Climate change hinders residential constructions in Sweden
Skåne county has denied planning permission for the building of two new beachfront homes, saying they are at risk from rising sea levels caused by climate change.
The planning permission concerns two houses to be built between 100 and 200 metres away from the sea.
According to the county adminis
Åhus, Skåne län, Sweden

Alaska releases first detailed report on negative health impacts of climate change
The sweeping list of potential health implications includes the introduction of new diseases, an increase in accidents and a worsening allergy season.

State report details potential health impacts of climate change
How will climate change affect health in Alaska? Dangerous travel conditions could cause more accidents, warmer temperatures could spread new diseases and the topsy-turvy weather could worsen mental health. Those are some conclusions from a new state report released Monday. Listen now
Newtok, Alaska, United States
Rachel Waldholz, Alaska's Energy Desk - Anchorage

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) in January!!?
Peregrine falcon observed in interior Alaska in early January.
Nenana, Alaska, United States

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.
KYUK

Rain on snow event in the French Alps
Photograph illustrates the impact of a rain-on-snow event during the winter of 2018.
Courchevel, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

Those turtles and iguanas aren’t dead. They’re just really cold.
Cold temperatures have started the Fall of the Iguanas and the immobilization of sea turtles, whose bodies have a hard time adjusting to the change in water temperature.
West Palm Beach, Florida, United States
miamiherald

Oceans suffocating as huge dead zones quadruple since 1950
Areas starved of oxygen in open ocean and by coasts have soared in recent decades, risking dire consequences for marine life and humanity
Temuco, La Araucanía, Chile
The Guardian

Roads, cars submerged: Storm rages with snow, floods - The Boston Globe
The powerful winter weather storm was slamming into Massachusetts by mid-morning Thursday, bringing blizzard-like conditions in some areas, torrential rain in others, power outages and hurricane-strength winds on Cape Cod and the Islands.
Quincy, Massachusetts, United States
The Boston Globe

Porcupine caribou herd numbers highest in monitoring history
"Currently we don't have any studies specifically looking at what factors are affecting those demographics," said Jason Caikoski, a wildlife biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Listen now
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, United States
Ravenna Koenig, Alaska's Energy Desk - Fairbanks

After two-week delay, sled dog racing season kicks off on the Kuskokwim
Sled dog racing season officially began on the Kuskokwim this weekend. Listen now

Alaska just had its warmest December on record
The statewide average temperature in December was 19.4 degrees, 15.7 degrees above the 20th century average.

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

Police help capture baby seal found wandering on busy road
"How he got so far inland from the ocean to Route 6A without getting hurt is amazing," police posted. "Must be a NAVY SEAL!"
Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, United States
CBS NEWS

Open Water Adds to Winter Chill - Part 2
While taking photos this afternoon of the snow ice on various objects near the Native Village of Unalakleet, which was on the approximate order of 4 minutes and with very little wind (playground, grass, powerlines), my hands were cold due to the "wetness" in the air and the ambient air temperature.

Amid warm winter, scientists say Alaska sea ice conditions are ‘shockingly bad’
That hurts coastal communities that hunt on the ice. But colder weather may be coming, at least to some portions of Alaska.
Gambell, Alaska, United States

As kings suffer across Southeast, Chilkat Chinook candidate for “stock of concern”
For more than five years, Southeast’s iconic king salmon have been returning in fewer and fewer numbers. Managers with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game are recommending Chilkat, Unuk and King Salmon River Chinooks become official “stocks of concern.” Listen now
Chilkat River, Alaska, United States

It’s Maine Shrimp Season, Without the Shrimp
As the state’s shrimp fishery is closed for a fifth year, scientists blame climate change, shrimpers fret and locals mourn a beloved treat.
Port Clyde, Maine, United States

Amid warm winter, scientists say Alaska sea ice conditions are ‘shockingly bad’
That hurts coastal communities that hunt on the ice. But colder weather may be coming, at least to some portions of Alaska. Ice should be hugging the coast near the village of Gambell, perched on St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea, said Mayor Susan Apassingok, on Tuesday. But ice isn't there.
Pacific Ocean-Bering Sea, East Coast, Alaska, United States

High winds knock out power, damage buildings in Kuskokwim Bay
Winds of up to 85 mph ripped up the Southwest Alaska coast on Friday, upending smokehouses, tearing electric lines and flinging a house across the road.
Quinhagak, Alaska, United States

Lineup of Storms and Unseasonable Weather
Multiple storms and warm weather in St. Mary's.
Saint Mary's, Alaska, United States

Arctic snowy owls wintering in U.S. fitted with tiny tracking devices
For researchers, this winter's mass migration of snowy owls from their breeding grounds above the Arctic Circle to the Great Lakes region is serious business.
Duxbury Beach, Massachusetts, United States

Alaska gets federal disaster help after North Slope storm
A September storm caused damage in Utqiagvik, and Gov. Bill Walker declared a disaster there last month.

Weather extremes now surpassing the realm of natural possibilities | Watching Our Water Ways
Environmental reporter Christopher Dunagan discusses the challenges of protecting Puget Sound and all things water-related. Weather extremes now surpassing the realm of natural possibilities
Puget Sound, Washington, United States
Kitsap Sun

After responding to 3 vehicles that broke through ice so far this year, N.W.T. gov't asks public to be careful
The number of vehicles reported to have gone through the ice around Yellowknife continues to rise. According to the N.W.T. Department of Environment, its spill response team has responded to three vehicles through the ice so far this year.

Saiga Antelopes Are Struck Again by a Plague in Central Asia
It was December when the first reports started coming in: All across the frozen Mongolian steppe, saiga were dying from a virus. The antelope species, with its tawny coat, ringed horns and incongruous oversize snout, has roamed the world's chilly northern grasslands since the Pleistocene.
Ховд, Hovd, Mongolia
The Washington Post

Suspected stolen vehicle falls through thin ice on Chena Lake
A borough employee who went to measure ice at Chena Lake got first-hand evidence that the lake ice ready for vehicles. “Lo and behold, there was a truck upside down on the bottom in about 25 feet of water,” Haas said. “No one was in it.”
Chena Lakes, Alaska, United States

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