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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

Mountain biker dies after helping save dehydrated hikers in Jacumba
A mountain biker died Saturday after trying to help dehydrated hikers in an eastern San Diego valley, officials said.
Jacumba, California, United States
NBC 7 San Diego

Tsunami warning canceled following strong earthquake off Alaska Peninsula
The magnitude 7.2 earthquake initially triggered sirens and evacuations in communities including Sand Point and Kodiak.
Sand Point, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Bird flu outbreak hits Barents Sea coast
Reports are coming in about hundreds of dead birds from Hammerfest in the west to Murmansk in the east. A zone with a radius of five kilometers is closed and guards are in place round-the-clock.
Vidyayevo, Murmansk, Russia
The Independent Barents Observer

Bird flu detected on Finnish fur farms for the first time
The exact virus type is still being determined, but measures are being taken to protect workers and prevent transmission to humans.
Kaustinen, Central Ostrobothnia, Finland
News

Avian influenza outbreak in Finnmark: a natural and environmental disaster
Avian influenza has now been detected along the entire coast of Finnmark. In Vadsø, the disease has not yet been detected, but almost 800 dead birds have already been removed. See video.
Vadsø, Finnmark Fylke, Norway
NRK

Fireweed blooms hindered by foam?
Foam or saliva-looking substance on seen on flowering plants like fireweed and yarrow.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Derek Sikes, Julia Salt, Brandie Radigan, Chyna Williams

Cold, wet weather delays lucrative peony harvest in Southcentral Alaska
Alaska is one of the only places in the world where peony flowers grow in the summer months. But the unusually cold, wet weather this year is delaying the blooms by weeks.
Willow, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Tim Rockey, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

Waterfalls now 'trickling': Low water brings changes to Hay River, N.W.T.
Impressive amounts of water normally rush over Alexandra Falls and Louise Falls in the N.W.T. But amid hot and dry conditions, These majestic waterfalls look nothing like they do at their full force.
Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC

Heavy rain inundates Vermont, causing flash floods and requiring rescues
About a dozen people were rescued from a campground in Andover as up to 5 inches of rain fell overnight in some parts of the state.
Londonderry, Vermont, United States
VTDigger

Cabins lost in wildfire near Tulita, N.W.T., as smoke forces some residents to leave
At last measurement, the fire had burned about 14,000 hectares and remains within 10 kilometres of Tulita, but is on the far side of the Mackenzie River.
Tulita NWT
CBC

Montpelier sees worst flood in nearly 100 years
Montpelier, Vermont experiences its worst flood in nearly 100 years, with the Winooski River reaching its highest level since 1927, causing extensive damage to the city and forcing residents to evacuate.
Montpelier, Vermont, United States
Rutland Herald

Relentless rain floods towns in Northeast, prompting evacuations and rescues
Rescue teams raced into Vermont on Monday after heavy rain drenched parts of the Northeast, washing out roads, forcing evacuations and halting some airline travel. One person was killed in New York as she was trying to leave her home. Officials say the storm has already wrought tens of millions of dollars in damage.
Arlington, Vermont, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Residents prepare to flee wildfire burning off Alaska Highway in the Yukon's Ibex Valley
Takhini River resident Georgina Widney said she is packed and ready to go if the evacuation alert for her area in the Ibex Valley changes to an evacuation order.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
CBC

Heat wave forecast for many N.W.T. communities
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued heat warnings for Yellowknife and many communities in the South Slave, Sahtu and Beaufort Delta regions — where day time temperatures near 30 C and overnight lows near 20 C are expected in the coming days. People are urged to seek out air conditioned spaces to seek relief.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Fuel vault at Anchorage medical campus believed to be source of University Lake oil spill
Oil from a nearby fuel container leaked through the water system in the lake most likely due to heavy rains of the past month. Cleanup efforts were ongoing this week. It’s not clear when the park will reopen.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

There's a whole lot of potholes along Yukon's highways this summer
Motorists say potholes on some of Yukon's highways are the worst they've seen. They're calling on the Yukon Government to fill them before a serious accident occurs.
Dawson City, Yukon, Canada

N.W.T. bison anthrax outbreak grows to 27 dead animals
This is the ninth outbreak in the territory since 1965. About 60 bison died in an outbreak in Wood Buffalo National Park last year. More than 300 died in the territory's largest outbreak in 2012. Bison can become infected with anthrax while grazing or taking dust baths.
Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada

Quarantine for bird flu was re-established in Syktyvkar
In Syktyvkar and Syktyvdin of the Komi Republic, quarantine for bird flu was reintroduced. The decree on the establishment of restrictive measures in certain territories of the Syktyvdinsky district and Syktyvkar was signed by the head of the republic, Vladimir Uyba. Quarantine has been in effect since July 5.The focus of bird flu was the territory of the rural settlement "Zelenets" of the Syktyvdinsky district. The hearth is located on the banks of the Vychegda River, opposite the village of Koytybozh.The place is forbidden to visit outsiders, except for specialists and local residents. The import, export and slaughter of birds are prohibited in this territory.
Vychegda River, Russia
Известия

A white raven has appeared on the Kenai Peninsula
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge staff say the bird is leucistic, lacking pigment in some feathers due to an absence of cells that produce melanin.
Soldotna, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

With thousands of sockeyes passing Bethel each day, dipnets are catching on
Amid severely restricted fishing on the Kuskokwim River, one bright spot has been abundant sockeye salmon runs at 30,000 fish daily near Bethel.
Bethel, Alaska, United States

Caught 4000 pink salmon in one net throw: "That's an indescribable amount of fish"
Several thousand pink salmon were caught in one net in connection with the extraction of the blacklisted fish. Too many Pink Salmon in the oceans and rivers threaten other species of salmon in Norway.
Vestre Jakobselv, Norway
NRK

Orlando man and stepson die in Big Bend National Park
A 14-year-old boy was found dead along the trail; a 31-year-old male was also found dead at the site of a motor vehicle crash near the trailhead. Last Friday also happened to be the hottest day so far this year in that part of the park. Nearby Rio Grande Village recorded a sweltering 119 degrees — the highest in the park.
Texas, United States
The Big Bend Sentinel

Wildfire smoke affecting millions of Canadians expected to linger for at least 2 days
Smoke from Canadian wildfires will make breathing outdoors difficult today for millions of people across the six largest provinces and into the United States.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

More people contact us about viper bites
A Norwegian viper.snake (European adder) can make individuals very ill while others do not notice anything, Viper bites have doubled from 2022 to 2023 in the month of May in Norway.
Norway
NRK

5 people contract malaria within U.S. borders — first such cases in two decades
The last confirmed instance of local transmission happened in 2003, when eight people became infected in Palm Beach County, Fla., the CDC said.
United States
Washington Post

Danger of lightning and thunder in South Norway Monday
Heavy rain, lightning and thunder are causing trouble in several places in southern Norway on Monday. But for farmer Sveinar Vadla, these are long-awaited drops.
Årdal I Ryfylke, Rogaland, Norway

Crab pots 'absolutely stuffed' as Bering Sea Dungeness fishery breaks records
While many Bering Sea crab populations find themselves in freefall, Dungeness crab is breaking records in regions that used to hardly see them.
Nome, Alaska, United States

Hatcher Pass Road opens for summer, but with winter lingering
The Hatcher Pass Road in Alaska has opened for the summer season, but deep snow remains at higher elevations, with crews spending the last week digging out the road over the pass before opening it.
Palmer, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

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

Skate caught in subsistence net
While subsistence salmon fishing, community members from Port Heiden found a skate in the net, which is unusual for them.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States
Jaclyn Christensen, Jayde Ferguson, Shane Hertzog

Unusual bird sighting. Is it an alcid?
This bird was a noticed on the beach landing area of the community but not touched.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States
Kathy Kuletz, Jaclyn Christensen, Gay Sheffield

Warm waters prompt fishing permit suspensions
The sale of fishing permits has been suspended for two sites where water temperatures have risen to critically high levels, especially for salmon.
Salo, Southwest Finland, Finland
News

Anchorage has seen the windiest June so far in more than 50 years. Is more wind in our future?
The first half of June was Anchorage’s windiest in more than 50 years, the result of an unusually stormy spring in Alaska.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

All it takes is one spark - high risk of forest fires throughout Finland
One spark was all it took. The driver of the forest harvester was working a logging site at Renko in Kanta-Häme. The grapple of the machine hit a stone, throwing a spark that set the underbrush ablaze.
Renko, Häme, Finland
News

Alberta "Stonecat" Fish
An observer's unexpected catch of a Stonecat in Alberta's Milk River reveals a native species of concern, prompting a draft recovery strategy for this and other at-risk fish.
Coutts, Alberta, Canada

Hundreds of seagulls found dead in suspected bird flu outbreak
Hundreds of seagulls were found dead in Kalmar, Sweden due to a suspected outbreak of H5N1 bird flu, with low risk of transmission to humans.
Kalmar, Sweden

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

Warning Scotland faces threat of water shortages
Environment agency Sepa said every part of the country had now reached some level of water scarcity. The weather conditions could last until early July and followed a drier than usual winter and spring. In May, Scotland only received 44% of its long-term average rainfall.
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
BBC News

Oyster catchers return to Nanwalek
Black oystercatchers have returned to Nanwalek, Alaska, and three eggs have been spotted on the beach.
Nanwalek, Alaska, United States

Huge landslide misses Swiss mountain village of Brienz ‘by a hair’
Rockfall buries access road but stops just in front of hamlet, which had been evacuated in anticipation.
Brienz, Bern, Switzerland
the Guardian

High levels of PSP in Blue Mussels
Blue mussels collected on 6/15/2023, were way above the FDA limit for safe consumption of 80 μg/100g.
Sand Point, Alaska, United States

Rocky Mountain spotted fever outbreak in Campinas, São Paulo State
The Ministry of Health confirms the occurrence of three deaths from Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) in Campinas/São Paulo, referring to an outbreak in the municipality.
Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
Outbreak News Today

What kind of insect?
Tribal member from St. Mary's, Alaska noticed this on her when she went back inside her home. Turns out it is an elm sawfly, Cimbex americana.
St. Mary's, Alaska, United States

Elk swims to island in Finnish archipelago, first sighting in 40 years
An elk was spotted swimming to the island of Utö in the Finnish archipelago, marking the first sighting of the animal in 40 years.
Utö, Finland

Dangerous PSP toxin levels found in some Southwest Alaska clams, mussels
High levels of PSP toxins have been found in razor clams in Chignik Lagoon and blue mussels in Sand Point, Alaska, making them unsafe to eat and potentially causing paralytic shellfish poisoning, with no known cure.
Chignik, Alaska, United States

Burlington bat has rabies. 1st case this year, Halton public health officials say
Halton Region Public Health confirmed the first case of rabies in a bat this year after finding the infected animal in Aldershot, a neighbourhood in Burlington.
Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Large-scale internet outage due to cut fiberoptic cable interrupts business as usual
On Sunday, Nomeites noticed that their internet wasn’t working and that cell service was spottier than usual. Large fiberoptic line was damaged by sea ice deep underneath the moving sea ice above.
Nome, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Thousands of fish wash up on Texas beach
NATIONThe Dallas Morning News Thousands of dead fish were found laying
Lake Jackson, Texas, United States

Possible wildfire-related fog in northern regions
A fog-like mist in northern Iceland may be connected to forest fires in Canada, with meteorologists suspecting that diluted smoke from the fires has reached the country due to prevailing winds blowing from west to east.
Iceland
RÚV

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