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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

Ferries cancelled, flood watch issued as storm wallops B.C. South Coast
The storm pummeling much of B.C. incapacitated part of the ferry system and coated major highway passes and northern areas of the province in a heap of fresh snow.
Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
CBC

Extreme Flooding
Jakarta, Indonesia
Twitter

Raining in January
Warm temperatures bring novel rain event in Northern Sweden.
Near Nedre Soppero, Sweden

New heat record again - 19 degrees on Sunndalsøra
A new heat record for January. Sunndalsøra in Nordmøre measured 19 plus degrees in the morning.
Sunndalsøra, Møre og Romsdal, Norway
NRK

‘Not ordinary rain’: Worst rainfall in over decade causes massive floods in Jakarta
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency recorded rainfall intensity on New Years Eve at 377 millimeters per day, according to an observation conducted at the Air Force air base in East Jakarta.
Jakarta, Indonesia
The Jakarta Post

Kangaroos (genus Macropus) Flee Bushfires
Mitchell Lyons captured video of a mob of kangaroos travelling at high speed to escape wildfires during the extreme 2019 Australian wildfire event.
New South Wales, Australia
Twitter

Australia bushfires trap thousands on east coast beaches
Residents fled toward the waterside as winds pushed an emergency-level wildfire towards their homes. The town was shrouded in darkness from the smoke before turning an unnerving shade of bright red.
Mallacoota, Victoria, Australia
The Globe and Mail

Anchorage breaks snow record for New Year’s Day following the warmest Dec. 31 on record
The snowfall came after Anchorage broke the daily record for warmest Dec. 31, with temperatures at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport measuring 46 degrees.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Mulchatna Caribou Hunt Closing On Federal Lands Amid Steep Population Decline
Midnight on Dec. 31 brings the close of 2019 and also the close of the hunting season for Mulchatna Caribou on federal lands. The federal season,
Bethel, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Massive anchovy school in White Rock draws a crowd
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said photographer Marissa Baecker, who was visiting White Rock from Kelowna on Christmas Day. “It wasn’t just a feeding, it was a feast.”
White Rock, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Sun

Anchovies take over White Rock shores
People in White Rock, B.C. are used to seeing fish in their waters but not quite like this.
White Rock, British Columbia, Canada
Facebook Watch

Holiday cold snap breaks records, may save Northwest Alaska snowmachine races
It’s a dramatic drop from this winter’s balmy start, but this is a normal weather pattern for this time of year.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Minus 65: Interior Alaska sees coldest official temperatures since 2012
An official temperature of minus 65 was recorded 15 miles northeast of Manley Hot Springs, according to the National Weather Service. It is the coldest official temperature in Alaska since
Manley Hot Springs, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Thousands of 'sea pickles' wash up on Monterey Bay beach
Hundreds upon hundreds of specimens known as "sea pickles" washed up on Monterey Bay beaches on Thursday. As explained by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, "Big waves and strong currents are pushing pyrosomes onto local beaches.
Asilomar State Beach, Pacific Grove, California, United States
SFGate

Huge sea temperature anomaly has water six degrees above normal
Ocean temperatures as much as 6 degrees higher than usual are developing off the east coast.
South Pacific Ocean
Stuff

Boisterous bay
A winter storm combined with a 20.7-foot high tide hammered the north shore of Kachemak Bay last Thursday.
Homer, Alaska, United States
Homer News

Mat-Su declares disaster after Willow Creek flooding forces evacuations, closes bridge
Flooding on Willow Creek Saturday night and Sunday has led to seven families being evacuated, with five people taking shelter at the Willow Community Center. The Willow Fire Department, Mat-Su Animal Care and the Mat-Su Water Rescue Team organized to assist those impacted by the flood.
Willow, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Russia’s warm winter has deprived Moscow of snow, caused plants to bloom and roused bears out of hibernation
Residents are lamenting a December without the constant layer of snow that defines Russian winters, when what little light there is typically reflects off the white covering and brightens the days.
Moscow, Moscow, Russia
Washington Post

Confirmed extinction of the Chinese Paddlefish (Psephurus gladius)
Ivan Jaric Tweeted news of his published paper confirming the extinction of the Chinese Paddlefish (Psephurus gladius)
Yangtze River, China
Twitter

Record Christmas snow cover in Lapland
Powder on the ground is nearly one meter deep in some parts of Finland's northernmost region.
Inari, Lapland, Finland
Yle Uutiset

More than a dozen homes evacuated due to Willow Creek flooding; Mat-Su officials say bridge could be closed for days
The flooding started when large chunks of ice jammed at Deneki bridge, according to an advisory issued by the National Weather Service.
Willow, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Soil loss during high rainfall event
The following Tweet is an observation of soil erosion and loss from an agricultural field in rural England during a rainfall event. This was documented on Twitter by Dave Throup, Environment Agency Manager for Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
General overviews of increasing rainfall and soil degradation in the UK are attached.
Herefordshire, England, United Kingdom

100 horses confirmed dead in storm
100 dead horses have been found following the major storm that hit Iceland last week. Some are still missing and the search continues. Some horses are known to remain in danger and vets say that farmers are exhausted.
Skagafjörður, Norðurland vestra, Iceland
RÚV

Buildings Disappears under Snow: "We’ve never before had snow on this scale"
The building, 30 feet to the gable, is buried in snow.
Hofsós, Northwest, Iceland
Electroverse

43,000 litres of milk went to waste in the storm
The severe storm that hit Iceland last week had a major impact on farmers—largely because of power cuts and closed roads. Dairy farmers could not milk their cows during power cuts, and they could not refrigerate the milk that had been collected before the power went off. MS Iceland Dairies received 43,000 fewer litres of milk from farms last week than the week before.
Akureyri, Northeast, Iceland
RÚV

Nearly 20,000 non-native salmon escaped after fire at B.C. fish farm
One wild salmon advocate fears the non-native Atlantic salmon could spread sickness and compete for habitat with struggling wild salmon population.
Queen Charlotte Strait, British Columbia
British Columbia

The snow is low, but the ice is nice
What little snow has fallen in recent weeks has disappeared, leaving inviting surfaces and smooth terrain to explore.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Pod of Orca whales migrate more than 3,000 miles from Iceland to Italy
A pod of Orca whales has made an unprecedented trip from Iceland to more than 3,000 miles away in Genoa, Italy according to a nonprofit organization that tracks them.
Genoa, Liguria, Italy
ABC News

Winter storm cuts off power to over 50,000 homes
Gusty winds and precipitation began pounding Finland from the southwest on Wednesday morning.
Heinola, Päijänne Tavastia, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Seabird Aggregation Over Abundant Northern Anchovy (Engraulis mordax)
Professor John Reynolds shared the following video of his observation of a large aggregation of gulls and other coastal seabirds over a large aggregation of Northern Anchovy at White Rock, BC.
White Rock, British Columbia, Canada

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