The size of a large caribou herd in Alaska's Arctic region has dropped by more 50 percent over the last three years, and researchers who have tentatively ruled out hunting and predation as significant factors for the decline are trying to determine why.

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

The last time the water levels were this high in some places was in the late 1990s or early 2000s. According to the Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), floodwaters will likely spill onto fields and roads in parts of southern and western Finland, but not into buildings.

The sale of fishing permits has been suspended for two sites where water temperatures have risen to critically high levels, especially for salmon.

Strong winds and heavy snowfall have led to flights being delayed, trains being cancelled, and motorists told to avoid unnecessary journeys.

The last time Finland had this much sunshine in March was nearly a decade ago, in 2013. High pressure typically brings clear skies, and this was also the case last month in Finland.

A minor earthquake, described by one resident as "a proper jerk", shook Rovaniemi. Dozens of earthquakes are observed in Finland every year. Typically, however, they are relatively weak, with a magnitude of less than 4.

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.

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.

Harju said that due to its long tusks, she guessed that it was an older walrus, adding that the animal was calm during the hour that she watched it lay on the beach.

There was a slight rise in population numbers of the very rare animals last year.

Frost exposure and poor pollination are behind expectations for a less than ideal season, according to research institute Luke. Bilberry patches at particular risk are in the regions of South Karelia, Kainuu, Keminmaa, Ylitornio, as well as certain areas of Central and South Ostrobothnia.

They detect the presence of the 'Devil Fish' in Sinaloa; a threat to fishing and ecosystems

The exact virus type is still being determined, but measures are being taken to protect workers and prevent transmission to humans.

Firefighters dealt with about 20 blazes on Sunday alone, as dry conditions and strong winds heighten risks of forest and brush fires getting out of control.

Heavy rainfall has flooded parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with one city declaring a state of emergency.

Fiona, now a post-tropical cyclone, made landfall in Canada Saturday morning. Some two-thirds of Nova Scotia and all of Prince Edward Island are without power.

“Our shipping monitors clocked another cruise ship going at excessive speed near Pond Inlet,” posted Baffinland Iron Mines on their Twitter account Sept. 22. While the maximum speed was agreed at nine knots in some passages used by the cruise ships, one ship in particular, The Hanseatic from Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, was clocked at almost 16 knots, nearly twice the velocity. It’s the second time this month the cruise line has been clocked in excess of the speed limit agreement.

The whooper swan, which calls Europe and Asia home, first made headlines last year when it stopped among the flock of local trumpeter and tundra swans that seasonally eat and rest in the Yukon. Avid birders wondered how it managed to fly so far off-course from its usual migration routes. Some birders believe the same swan has made a second visit.

Some 1,600 bats found a temporary home this week in the attic of a Houston Humane Society director, but it wasn’t because they made it their roost. It was a temporary recovery space for the flying mammals after they lost their grip and plunged to the pavement after going into hypothermic shock during the city’s recent cold snap .