In Norway’s Arctic, meteorologists have a first-row seat to climate change

In the cold of the Norwegian Arctic, the meteorologist Trond Robertsen manually recorded the levels of precipitation for more than two decades, testifying to the first hand the effects of climate change.

At 66, Robertsen retired after having endured Spartan conditions during missions which totaled eight years on two islands of the Svalbard archipelago: Bjornoya (Bear Island) and Hogen.

To reach the distant Bjornoya, where humans are the nine employees of the small weather station, meteorologists must fly by helicopter because they are turned on a six -month base.

“The idea is not to stay too long, because it is a different rhythm, and you are isolated,” Robertsen told AFP.

It is a demanding work.

“It’s a 24/7 occupation,” he said. “We do it all day, all night.” The team worked to cover every hour of the day, he said.

Meteorological observation starts early in the morning at 6:00 am.

“It’s done manually, so you have to go out and check the bucket that collects precipitation,” said Robertsen.

“During the winter, you should melt snow and ice into the water” to determine the amount fallen.

The data is then transmitted the Norwegian Meteorological Institute in Tromso and Oslo.

“This small observation is actually quite crucial for weather forecast systems in the North, because the observations are so rare in this area.”

Bjornoya is located in the middle of the fishing grounds, and the weather reports published twice a day are closely followed by fishing boats in the region.

Less ice, fewer bear

Since its first Arctic missions in the 1990s, Robertsen has witnessed the evolution of the climate.

“When I started climbing north, there has been a lot of ice. In recent years, it’s fewer ice cream and fewer polar bears. You can see climate change,” he said.

Polar bears have been classified as a vulnerable population since 1982 on the Red List of the IUCN (International Union for Nature Conservation) of endangered species, with the loss of Arctic Sea Ice The most urgent threat to species.

However, their specific number is almost impossible to assess.

In winter, the employees of the station always venture out in pairs and must be armed due to the presence of polar bear, but according to Robertsen, it is rarer to meet them today.

In April, during his last mission on the island, Robertsen had an accident by making carpentry: he slipped and ended up cutting his finger and half of another.

Due to difficult weather conditions, he had to wait approximately 26 hours before being evacuated by helicopter and transported to hospital.

“It was a strong snowstorm that arrived, only the day after the helicopter,” he said.

With hindsight, Robertsen does not regret the years spent in the austere living conditions.

“The Arctic gave me so many experiences and memories, so it is a modest sum to reimburse with my little left finger and part of my ring finger,” he said.

© 2025 AFP