Suspended particulates' concentration in the capital area was high today due to a sandstorm on the desert sands of South Iceland, the city of Reykjavik warned at noon.
The capital area, along with most of Iceland, has experienced constant below-freezing temperatures for a couple of weeks now.
A steel-framed building was broken apart by wind in Hafnarfjörður on Friday, search & rescue teams attended over a hundred call-outs, and Hellisheiði and other important roads were closed once more. February was one of the coldest and windiest for many years.
The yellow weather alert released yesterday for north and west Iceland has been strengthened to an orange weather warning for the Westfjords region that will stay in effect until midnight. Wind and rain are causing severe disruption.
The temperature in Akureyri last night dropped to -1°C, the coldest night this late in June since 1978—or 43 years ago.
The notorious lúsmý (Culicoides reconditus), a species of biting midge that has colonised Iceland for the first time in the past few years. The tiny flies can cause severe reactions, with large, sore, itchy spots that can remain angry for a week or more, and sometimes spread into a sort of rash.
After some well-founded speculation a week ago, reported on in some media, the Met Office has now confirmed that this March was the wettest on record in Reykjavík--and the winter overall saw the most precipitation ever recorded in various locations around Iceland.
According to police sources, flow in the region’s swollen rivers dropped slightly overnight, but that this is likely explained because the air temperature usually drops overnight. Flow is expected to increase again today.
The stock of arctic char in Elliðavatn lake has almost collapsed. Similar developments are taking place in Norway as well. Hilmar Malmquist, head of the freshwater division at the Marine Research Institute, believe that climate change is the main explanation.
Close to 300 birds were found during a sweep of East Fjords beaches. No sign of bird flu was found in samples from dead seabirds. It is thought likely the birds died of hunger, as most were very thin. No widespread seabird deaths have been reported in any other region at this time.
Genuine summertime temperatures were recorded in East Iceland yesterday. The warmest place was Dalatangi, which reached 18°C. Not far behind was Bjarnarey on 17.8°C and Eskifjörður recorded 16.6°C.
100 dead horses have been found following the major storm that hit Iceland last week. Some are still missing and the search continues. Some horses are known to remain in danger and vets say that farmers are exhausted.
Stormy conditions in the southwestern and western parts of the country saw residents experiencing thunder and lightning yesterday. Eysteinn Örn Stefánsson captured a video of lightning that struck Mosfellsbær, which can be seen in the player above.
A group on a glacier expedition on Langjökull yesterday stumbled across a puffin lying in the snow. According to group leader Martha Jónasdóttir, the bird was found right at the centre of the glacier—Iceland's second-largest.
The sea temperatures around Iceland have been higher than the average for the past 20 years, and the sea around the whole country has become more acidic, according to data recorded by the Marine Research Institute.
Very heavy rain has affected South and East Iceland throughout Sunday and overnight. An area of Seyðisfjörður has been evacuated and road closures were announced in three places due to an avalanche, an ice flood, and a downed power line.
The average temperature was higher than normal in all parts of the country and in Reykjavík November was warmer than October.
2020 was the second most successful year on record for Iceland’s sea eagles. Currently there are 85 breeding pairs—mostly around the Breiðafjörður area. This year, there have been 51 eaglets from 60 nests.
The south and west of the country are on course for a good harvest, as the sun has been a near-constant companion all season. Berry pickers in East Iceland are less optimistic.
Last week’s storm was the most fatal natural disaster to Iceland’s horses in decades. The situation was worst in Vestur- and Austur Húnavatnssýsla, but horses died elsewhere around the country as well.
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