Vík í Mýrdal

A sheep house east of Vík í Mýrdal was washed out to sea amid heavy surf, and rescuers fear a nearby horse stable could be lost at the next high tide as winds strengthen. No animals were inside; valuables were cleared and yellow weather warnings are in effect for South and Southeast Iceland.

A rockfall struck Suðurlandsvegur at Holtsnúp under Eyjafjöll on August 17 at the same spot where a fatal accident occurred in March, prompting calls for urgent safety upgrades on this stretch of the South Coast Road.

RÚV received a video this week that shows a whale just off the beach at Reynisfjara; the second time in about a week. Guðjón Már Sigurðsson, marine biologist and cetacean expert at the Icelandic Marine Research Institute, says the whale swims shallow in a search for food.

Weather warnings for northern gales and heavy rainfall that swept through the country yesterday expired last night. The weather was accompanied by heavy precipitation, snow or sleet, and widespread winter conditions on the roads.

A large 4x4 with trailer was found overturned in a ditch, fencing had been flattened, and roof panels from seven buildings were found 100 metres away from their roofs when the family returned to Norðurhjáleiga farm.

Warming temperatures have caused large stones to break off the cliff at Reynisfjara beach, South Iceland.

Environmental and economic changes could make it easier for non-native plants and animals to gain a foothold in the North.

Residents report unusually severe coastal erosion at Reynisfjara beach in South Iceland after weeks of persistent easterly winds and strong surf, which have stripped sand away and exposed large boulders and basalt columns at the shoreline. A hazards specialist says some sand may return when winds shift, but it is uncertain how much, and there are concerns about exposure near the parking area.