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Lapland Rescue Department strengthens its drone fleet
The Lapland Rescue Department in northern Finland is acquiring three new drones costing around 8,000 euros each to upgrade its equipment, according to the Finnish public broadcaster Yle.
The new drones feature improved weather resistance, more advanced cameras, a thermal imaging camera, and automated search capabilities that allow the crew to focus on analyzing the footage rather than piloting the aircraft.
The drones are used for a wide range of tasks, from smoke detection and fire localization to searching for missing persons. Additionally, they are equipped with useful accessories such as spotlights and loudspeakers to deliver instructions during rescue operations.
As part of a new pilot project, the rescue department will also test a release mechanism that allows drones to drop self-inflating lifebuoys directly to people requiring assistance in the water.
Tourism is booming in Finnish Lapland
Tourism in Finnish Lapland is growing rapidly, and tourism businesses are investing heavily to meet demand.
Apukka Resort in Rovaniemi has more than quintupled its revenue since 2022, reaching around €27 million, according to Finnish broadcaster Yle.
At the same time, the tourism industry fears that such rapid growth could come at the expense of quality.
According to Harri Mällinen, CEO of Apukka Resort, a poor visitor experience could lead tourists to choose other destinations.
"That is my biggest fear right now. If the quality does not remain high, it will reduce tourists’ interest in Lapland," she told Yle.
The industry is also vulnerable to global crises. The war in the Middle East, for example, led to a decline in visitors when airports in the region were closed.
Finnish Defence Forces to participate in the Denmark-led Arctic Endurance 26
The Finnish Defence Forces will participate in the Denmark-led Arctic Endurance 26 -exercise complex in the Arctic region in early autumn.
That is stated in a press release from the Finnish Defence Forces.
The service personnel that will participate are from the Navy and from the Utti Jaeger Regiment.
"Finland maintains an active posture as a NATO member nation, and takes part in strengthening security in the Arctic region together with its Allies. Participation in the exercise complex will develop the Finnish Defence Forces’ interoperability, information exchange, and competence in the Arctic operating environment," the press release states.
Participation in the exercise will offer the Finnish Defence Forces’ special forces an opportunity to develop their capability to operate in a demanding Arctic environment and to strengthen cooperation with international Allies.
Arctic Endurance is one of the enduring exercises included under NATOs Arctic Sentry. This is NATO's enhanced Vigilance Activity for the High North and aims to strengthen the Alliance's posture and presence in the Arctic region.
Predicts high Arctic winter temperatures
Arctic temperatures over the next five winters are expected to be three and a half times higher than the global average, reaching 2.8 degrees above the average temperatures for 1991-2020, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization and the UK Met Office.
The report also predicts further reductions in sea ice concentration in the Barents Sea, Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk in March (the time of maximum ice extent) over the next five years.
Arctic warming could also disrupt weather systems and prompt more severe weather events, especially in northern parts of the world, says Melissa Seabrook, a research scientist at the UK Met Office, to Reuters.
Hidden lake network beneath Arctic glaciers
Researchers have identified 37 subglacial lakes beneath glaciers in Canada's Arctic, 35 of them previously unknown, according to CBC News.
The study has revealed a hidden water system that could help scientists better understand how glaciers move and lose ice.
Scientists say knowing where the lakes are, and how they fill and drain, could improve our understanding of how quickly glaciers are melting and sea levels are rising. The lakes form a complex network of interconnected water bodies flowing beneath the ice, largely hidden until now.
Norway's northernmost glacier is almost gone
Norway's northernmost glacier, Nordmannsjøkelen in Seiland National Park in Finnmark, has shrunk from a large ice cap to small ice remnants.
This was reported by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate in an op-ed at Forskning.no.
The glacier has lost 92 percent of its area since 1970. Now, only one small glacier arm still shows signs of movement in the form of cracks in the ice.
The glacier is expected to disappear completely in the near future.
Arctic sea ice nears record low
This year's sea ice maximum is set to be the second lowest since satellite measurements began, only to be turned off in 2025, reports the Bjerknes Center for Climate Research.
Since 1979, satellites have been monitoring sea ice in the Arctic and measuring how extensive the ice has been at its greatest extent. In their first year, the measurements showed an extent of over 16.5 million square kilometers of sea ice, from the first measurement until this year the ice has been reduced by a full 1.5 million square kilometers.
Only 2018 and 2025 have had similar low values at this time of year.