On thin ice – Rising temperatures in Lapland

Arctic ice shrinks to 2nd lowest level on record

Hundreds of scientists from 20 different countries spent an entire year trapped in the ice of the Arctic, camped out in extreme temperatures. Living through months of complete darkness and the constant threat of polar bears, they studied the ice sheets around them. The German-led expedition returned last week and the immediate conclusion was that the ice on the Arctic would be gone within decades. Sea ice scientist Stefanie Arndt tells us the trip was beautiful but also a cause for concern: this could be the last big group of scientists to see the Arctic in such icy conditions.

Paleontologists have found one of the best-preserved specimens of the Ice Age animal to date in Russia's extreme north. They dated the carcass as anywhere from 20,000-to 50,000-years-old.

Organizers have cited safety concerns over the coronavirus and a crackdown on protests following President Alexander Lukashenko's disputed re-election in August.

Russia's COVID-19 infections have been falling since the end of December and restrictions in the country have been loosened. In Moscow, free shots of the country's Sputnik V jab come with a helping of ice cream.

Dutch ice skaters gather at dawn for one last glide at Kinderdijk frozen dike near Rotterdam, as temperatures are set to increase.

Czech freediver David Vencl is using this year's cold winter to get ready to set a new world record in swimming under the ice with breath held. He is planning to swim 80 metres with a single breath.

Czech freediver David Vencl swims 80 metres beneath ice on February 23 2021 breaking the world record by braving freezing water in a lake at a former quarry in the village of Lahost, near the city of Teplice.

What to do if you are a windsurfing enthusiast in a country where the sea freezes over for months of the year?

Canadian Gilbert Cardin worries about the future of the ice road he maintains every winter on a frozen river west of Montreal. "At this time of year, we should be seeing 26 inches of ice, but we currently have 14," he says.

Global heating might be melting the planet's glaciers and ice sheets, but can't we simply avoid rising seas and run for the hills?

Between the peach trees, orange flames flicker and dance throughout the night. In their orchard in Westhoffen (Bas-Rhin), Daniel and Nathalie Dettling have lit hundreds of braziers filled with paraffin to counter the potentially catastrophic effects of the frost during this week's cold snap.