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).

The average weight of adult reindeer on Svalbard, north of Norway, has fallen to 106 pounds from 121 pounds in the 1990s

At the world’s northernmost year-round research station, scientists are racing to understand how the fastest-warming place on Earth is changing — and what those changes may mean for the planet’s future.

Longyearbyen airport had an average temperature of 6.1°C, which is 2.5°C above normal. Global air and sea surface temperatures were also at record levels.

It was hotter today on Svalbard than in the Norwegian capital, Oslo. So much so, that the previous temperature record from 1979 was smashed.