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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

Bears in the backyard: Sightings on the rise in southwest Finland
A brown bear was filmed running through downtown Loimaa after emerging from the Loimijoki River, one of several recent sightings in Southwest Finland this spring.
Loimaa, Southwest Finland, Finland
Yle News

Mild winter draws first migratory birds back
Early sightings of migratory birds in southwest Finland, including bean and greylag geese, suggest milder winter conditions and highlight the impact of climate change on traditional migratory patterns.
Parainen, Southwest Finland, Finland
Yle News

Finland sweats as temperatures approach summer highs
Finland is experiencing warm and sunny weather with temperatures ranging between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius, and an advisory for strong ultraviolet radiation has been issued for the south and southwest.
Turku, Southwest Finland, Finland
News

Finland's worst wildfire in decades is raging through a northwest forest - ArcticToday
Finland’s worst wildfire in more than half a century scorched the country’s northwest for a fifth day on Friday, tearing through forests left dry by record summer heat.
Pyhäranta, Finland Proper, Finland
ArcticToday

Exceptional heat takes toll on berries, other crops
An extended period of hot, dry weather is affecting the harvest outlook and impacting grain growth. Even the wild berry season, which was off to a good start, may be in peril.
Kullaa, Satakunta, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Shards of ice pile up on shore of Finnish lake
Strong winds have created a picturesque wall of ice on the shore of Lake Pyhäjärv. "This often happens at this time of year on the shores of larger lakes and on the sea shore," Huutonen said, adding that there were gale force winds in the area over the weekend.
Säkylä, Satakunta, Finland
Yle Uutiset

November temperature record reached in Finland
A high of 14.7 degrees Celsius was measured in the southwestern city of Pori on Monday night.
Pori, Satakunta, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Warmest late-September day in half a century as mercury hits 23.5C
An exceptionally warm air current from the southeast has kept days and nights unseasonably mild in southern and central Finland since last week. Meanwhile the north of the country has been shivering with rain and temperatures in the single digits. The highest reading in decades was recorded in Kokemäki, southwest Finland.
Kokemäki, Satakunta, Finland

Turku's cherry blossoms bloom out of season in mid-winter
The cherry blossoms along the Aura riverbank are a huge draw for tourists and photo enthusiasts every year around mid-May. The city's head gardener said he was amazed by the sight of the flowers budding this time of year.
Turku, Southwest Finland, Finland

Spring flowers in southwest Finland archipelago
According to Simo Laine, head horticulturalist at botanical garden in Turku, southwest Finland, it could well be the first time that the blooms have made an appearance in the country as early as January.
Turku, Southwest Finland, Finland

Storm cuts off power to thousands of homes, heads east on Saturday
More than 40,000 households faced blackouts overnight.
Pori, Satakunta, Finland

Tick, tock: Finland's ticks still thirst for blood
The incidence of ticks at all of Turku University’s research sites in Turku as well as in Helsinki has risen over the past 20 years, and they can still active into the fall, even after periods of freezing weather. Southwestern Finland and Uusimaa have reported 29 cases of tick-borne encephalitis and some 1,500 people have contracted Lyme disease, an illness caused by ticks carrying Borrelia burgdorferi.

Thirsty elk seek water during heatwave, motorists warned
A total of 140 crashes and other accidents involving elk have been reported in the last week alone, police said, especially in the area around Pyhäjärvi lake near the town of Säkylä in the southwest of Finland.
Säkylä, Satakunta, Finland

Satellite photos show blue-green algae blooming in blistering heat
Researcher Sirpa Lehtinen from the Finnish Environment Institute (Syke) said that cyanobacteria exist in seawater all year round, but intense heat causes them to multiply quickly.

Waterspout touches down in Finnish Archipelago
A close cousin to the tornado - the waterspout - touched down in south-western Finland on Friday.
Pargas, Southwest Finland, Finland

Brush fire warnings in effect across Finland this week
A fire chief in the south-west said firefighters were called to several fires a day in recent days, saying that all were caused by people who ignored warnings.
Mynämäki, Southwest Finland, Finland

Outdoor air quality at seasonal low
Spring blossoms, dusty streets, distant fires and a lack of rain combine to create hazardous respiratory conditions.

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.

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

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

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

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

Toxic glowing organism poses new threat to Baltic Sea
The Natural Resources Institute is developing new ways to combat Alexandrium ostenfeldii, a toxic organism now thriving due to climate change.
Naantali, Southwest Finland, Finland

Finland endures coldest May in nearly half a century
As many people resident in Finland already know, May was an exceptionally cold month. According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute FMI, the last time May daytime temperatures were this low was in 1969.
Paimio, Southwest Finland, Finland

Thermal spring early to southern Finland
Spring - or rather thermal spring - could be arriving to Finland as early as this week in southern and western areas.
Southern Capital Region, Finland

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