Weather +2 °C at noon, wind 5 m/s

Weatherchecked 22:04Yr

+2 °C at noon, wind 5 m/s, gusts 8, dry. 00:00 +2, 03:00 +4, 06:00 +4

Flights 4 flights on 30 October, next DY391 to Oslo 13:40, departed 13:31

Flightschecked 22:04Avinor

11:30 SK4490 from Oslo, landed 11:34

12:15 SK4491 to Oslo, departed 12:19

12:55 DY390 from Oslo, landed 12:48

13:40 DY391 to Oslo, departed 13:31

Ships 1 call booked on 30 and 31 October; 4 at the quay, 5 in Isfjorden at 21:00 on 30 October

Shipschecked 22:04Port Longyear, Kystverket AIS

Booked: Alexia, bulk carrier, 31 October, 12:00 to 2 November, 20:00.

In Isfjorden at 21:00 on 30 October, 5 ships: Kronprins Haakon, at the quay in Longyearbyen since 20:11; Advent Supplier, port tender, at the quay in Longyearbyen, 20:52; Polarsyssel, law enforcement, at the quay in Longyearbyen since 29 October 15:30; Elling Carlsen, pilot, at the quay in Longyearbyen, 20:51; Longyear 2, port tender, under way in Adventfjorden, 1 kn, 20:50.

Longyearbyen · 78.22 N 15.63 E

Svalbard Wire

Est. 2026

Everything said about Svalbard, in one place

Friday 30 October 2026No. 5Updated 23:59

Daylight on 30 October: none, polar night, day 4. Polar night, day 4 of 112. The sun returns 16 February.

Polar night, day 4 of 112. The sun returns 16 February.

SpecialRussia on SvalbardPeople, coal, the treaty and the plans, in maps, numbers and archive pictures.Photo: Mozzihh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Safety and preparedness

Longyearbyen fire and rescue urges Halloween fire safety

Longyearbyen lokalstyre (the local council) reported on 29 October that Longyearbyen brann og redning (fire and rescue) urges residents to take extra care with fire safety at Halloween.

Lokalstyre, 29 October, 16:04

The full story

In town

Meetings, culture, lectures

Numbered discs: the day's listed events.

Graphic: Svalbard Wire · Sources: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)Base map: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

Friday 30 October

  1. 112:00
  2. 219:00

Coming up

  1. 31 OctSat, 11:00
  2. 31 OctSat, 15:00
  3. 1 NovSun, 11:00
  4. 1 NovSun, 15:00

News

5 on 30 October, 18 on 29 October

Also reported

  1. Longyearbyen

    Council shares out NOK 95,000 from state culture fund

    Longyearbyen lokalstyre administers grants from regional culture funds, awarded by the Ministry of Culture and Equality.

    Lokalstyre, 30 October, 08:46. Original title: Tilskudd fra regionale kulturfond

  2. Sport

    The council closes Svalbardhallen pool for national swim meet

    On Saturday 31 October the water will be colder than normal, and baby swimming is cancelled. On the weekend of 6-8 November a national swimming competition is held in Svalbardhallen, and the swimming pool is therefore closed from 2:00 pm on…

    Lokalstyre, 29 October, 17:08. Original title: Viktig informasjon fra Svalbardhallen-kaldere bassengvann og nasjonalt svømmestevne

  3. Russia on Svalbard

    Court keeps Professor Molchanov under arrest in Barentsburg

    The court also ordered Arktikugol to reimburse the Ukrainian companies in full for their legal costs, totalling 2,882,000 Norwegian kroner.

    The Barents Observer, 29 October, 12:29

  4. Longyearbyen

    Local council invites business to forum on 5 November

    What is happening in Longyearbyen, and what does the development mean for the business community?

    Lokalstyre, 29 October, 10:02. Original title: Velkommen til næringsforum 5. november!

Earlier, from 27 October

  1. Safety and preparedness

    UNIS holds an avalanche evening in Møysalen on 17 November

    Tuesday 17 November Møysalen, UNIS 19:00-21:00 / 7 PM to 9 PM (UTC+2) The lecture will only be held in-person and in Norwegian. During the avalanche evening you will learn more about, among other things:, What is avalanche terrain?, How do you make safe route choices?, What is Varsom Regobs and how do you use the Avalanche Warning?, What equipment must […]

    UNIS, 28 October, 08:54. Original title: Skredkveld i Møysalen

  2. After coal

    Hotellneset power plant: streets dug up from 2028, plant ready in 2031

    Governor of Svalbard, 28 October, 05:00. Original title: Høring: Utredningsprogram for hovedkraftstasjon og tankanlegg på Hotellneset | Sysselmesteren på Svalbard

  3. Culture

    Storting wants Norwegian film support rules to cover Svalbard

    Government of Norway, 27 October, 05:00. Original title: Prop. 1 S (2026-2027), Kultur- og likestillingsdepartementet

Svalbard on screen

New videos from channels in Longyearbyen

  1. Back on Svalbard… and back to polar bear protection!

    Ciao It's Giulia, 30 October. Thumbnail: Ciao It's Giulia

  2. Why do we need polar bear protection on Svalbard?

    Ciao It's Giulia, 29 October. Thumbnail: Ciao It's Giulia

  3. Making homemade salmon pasta in my cozy cabin on Svalbard!

    Ciao It's Giulia, 28 October. Thumbnail: Ciao It's Giulia

  4. L’inverno sta arrivando alle Svalbard… e le nostra case non sono pronte

    Giulia Al Polo, 28 October. Thumbnail: Giulia Al Polo

  5. Cooking authentic Italian pasta on Svalbard!

    Ciao It's Giulia, 27 October. Thumbnail: Ciao It's Giulia

  6. Cook with me in my cabin on Svalbard!

    Ciao It's Giulia, 26 October. Thumbnail: Ciao It's Giulia

All videos and the channels

Services and deadlines

Who is affected, until when, what to do

  1. Registration deadline for the business forum, 4 November

    5 days left, 24 October to 4 November. Registration through the link on the page, deadline Wednesday 4 November at 16:00. Speaking time can be requested at registration.

    For: Local business community.

    Longyearbyen lokalstyre

  2. Deadline for temporary installations applications, 2026-2027 winter season

    16 days left, 24 October to 15 November. Applications are sent to firmapost@sysselmesteren.no.

    For: Those applying to set up temporary installations for camping by the general public for one week or more during the winter season.

    Governor of Svalbard

  3. Extra air freight flight to Longyearbyen, 7 November

    8 days left, on 7 November. Contact Pole Position Logistics directly for capacity, prices and booking.

    For: Businesses and other parties that need to send goods by air.

    Longyearbyen lokalstyre

  4. Svalbardhallen: colder pool water, baby swimming cancelled

    1 day left, on 31 October.

    For: Swimming hall guests, baby swimming participants.

    Longyearbyen lokalstyre

  5. Application deadline: regional cultural fund grants

    12 days left, 30 October to 11 November. Application form linked on the Longyearbyen lokalstyre page.

    For: Teams, associations, businesses and other actors registered in the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities (Enhetsregisteret) and active in Longyearbyen.

    Longyearbyen lokalstyre

  6. Registration deadline for the UNIS, hva nå? seminar, 10 November

    11 days left, 3 November to 10 November. Register via the website of NVP (NVPs nettside).

    UNIS, news listing

  7. Governor's office closed to the public

    7 days left, on 6 November.

    Governor of Svalbard

  8. Water shut-off near the Customs House and Fire Station

    10 days left, on 9 November. Owners and businesses are asked to register contact information for the property at Varslemeg.no.

    For: Subscribers and owners of properties, commercial buildings, shops and businesses affected by the work.

    Longyearbyen lokalstyre

  9. Swimming hall closed to public swimming from 14:00, 6 November

    7 days left, on 6 November.

    Longyearbyen lokalstyre

  10. Kiosk closed, 7 November

    8 days left, on 7 November.

    Longyearbyen lokalstyre

  11. Swimming hall closed to public swimming all day, 7 November

    8 days left, on 7 November.

    Longyearbyen lokalstyre

  12. Swimming hall closed to public swimming all day, 8 November

    9 days left, on 8 November.

    Longyearbyen lokalstyre

  13. Environmental station closed on Friday

    7 days left, on 6 November.

    For: Household and business customers.

    Longyearbyen lokalstyre

  14. Application portal opens for experienced Svalbard guides

    14 days left, on 13 November.

    For: Experienced guides applying for approval as a Svalbard guide.

    Governor of Svalbard

Sysselmesteren (the Governor of Svalbard)

  1. Yellow warning for rain on Saturday

    30 October. Governor of Svalbard

  2. Traffic ban on Road 300

    29 October. Governor of Svalbard

Tours

checked 18:163 departures listed for the day.All operators

All tours

20:001 departure
  1. 20:00

    Northern Lights ATV Adventure

    Spitzbergen Adventures8+ places leftoperator booking system

    1,750 NOK per personDeparted
21:002 departures
  1. 21:00

    Chasing the dancing Aurora (Northern lights)

    Longyearbyen Guiding8+ places leftoperator booking system

    1,100 NOK per personDeparted
  2. 21:00

    The exclusive Northern Light chase

    Spitzbergen Adventures8+ places leftoperator booking system

    1,200 NOK per personDeparted

Departures, prices and places from each operator's own booking system; where an operator has none, from the Visit Svalbard booking system.

History

The island's past

This week in history, 31 October

1932

A Soviet steamer runs aground on the way to Barentsburg

The Dutch owners sold Barentsburg to the Soviet state company Arktikugol in 1932. That autumn the steamer Tawaritsch Stalin, bringing workers and machinery for the Soviet mine, ran aground at the mouth of Isfjorden and was pulled off by a Soviet ship and British trawlers.

History Store norske leksikon

The timeline by era

  1. 1596Discovery and whaling, 3 entries
  2. 1715Hunting and expeditions, 4 entries
  3. 1905The coal town, 6 entries
  4. 1920The Svalbard Treaty, 4 entries
  5. 1941War and rebuilding, 4 entries
  6. 1975The modern town, 3 entries
  7. 2015The present transition, 6 entries

Open the history of Svalbard, 30 entries in 7 eras