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Weather forecast
Weather forecast for the next 24 hours
Easterly or variavle winds, 3-8 m/s, but 8-13 at the S coast tomorrow. Widespread showers of rain or sleet, but mainly dry in N-Iceland.
Temperatures 3 to 9 deg. C during daytime, mildest in the SW, but night frost in many places.
Forecast made 13.05.2021 21:24
Forecaster's remarks
Vegetation is very dry in the south and west part of Iceland and not much rain is expected the following days. Because of high risk of wildfires, it is important to be cautious when handling fire.
Prepared by the meteorologist on duty 13.05.2021 21:24
If the map and the text forecast differs, then the text forecast applies
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Maximum wind in Iceland today
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Maximum wind in Iceland during the last hour
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Maximum and minimum temperature in Iceland during the last hour
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Preliminary results
Earthquakes
Earthquakes during last 48 hours. at 13 May 21:40 GMT
Biggest earthquakes during the last 48 hours
| Size | Time | Quality | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 | 12 May 15:47:32 | Checked | 3.8 km ESE of Bárðarbunga |
| 3.1 | 13 May 00:32:31 | Checked | 407.1 km NE of Kolbeinsey |
| 2.8 | 12 May 15:45:32 | Checked | 5.2 km ESE of Bárðarbunga |
Specialist remark
Yesterday (12. May) two earthquakes occurred in the Bárðarbunga caldera, M2.8 at 15:45 and M3.5 at 15:47. A few aftershocks followed
More information on the ongoing eruption at Fagradalsfjall here.
See the latest SO2 / SO4 gas dispersion forecast here. Please note there are always dangers due to gases at the eruption site
Please note that triggered earthquakes can increase the risk of falling rocks from hills or slopes.
Written by a specialist at 13 May 08:07 GMT
Week overview 3 May - 9 May
Around 800 earthquakes were detected by the IMO̕s SIL-system this week, much less than from the previous week when roughly 1400 earthquakes were detected. The largest earthquake of the week was of magnitude M3.2 on May 3rd at 03:04 in Móhálsadalur west of lake Kleifarvatn. Later same day another earthquake of M3.2 was detected in the same area at 15:49. The earthquakes were felt in the capital area and nearby. Slight seismic activity was north of the volcanic eruption and by lake Kleifarvatn. Over 30 earthquakes were detected in the area east of Bárðarbunga were deep earthquakes are located. On the evening of May 9th an earthquake of M2,9 was detected some 12 km NNE of Grímsey.
Near Grímsvatn 5 earthquakes were detected, most of the about on top of and just north of Grímsfjall, the largest ofM1.7. Ten minor earthquakes where detected in Öræfajökull and two small earthquakes near Þórðarhyrna. Four earthquakes were detecte in Langjökull glacier, largest of M2.4. No earthquakes where detected near Mt. Hekla but one minor earthquake in Trippafjöll south of Mt. Hekla. More
Hydrology
Average flow and temperature last 24 hours
| River | Place | Flow | Water temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norðurá | Stekkur | 7.5 m³/s | |
| Austari Jökulsá | Skatastaðir | ||
| Jökulsá á Fjöllum | Grímsstaðir | 94.8 m³/s | 4.4 °C |
| Eldvatn | Eystri-Ásar | ||
| Ölfusá | Selfoss | 267.1 m³/s | 2.0 °C |
Avalanches
Avalanche bulletins for selected areas
The avalanche bulletin is at a regional scale. It does not necessarily represent avalanche danger in urban areas.
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News
Re-evaluation needed of the size of the hazard area
Updated 03.05 12:15
The eruption in Fagradalsfjall continues
through one main crater. The active crater is the fifth fissure opening that opened in the area on the 13th of April. Since the 27th of April, the volcanic activity was characterized by continuous lava fountains, while the activity changed at around midnight on the 2nd of May, and has since been showing pulsating behaviour.
Considering these changes in activity, the size of the hazard area at the eruption site is being re-evaluated.
Read more
A minor eruption underway
Uptdated 29.3 at 09:30
The Civil Protection and Emergency Management's Science Board held a meeting Friday (Mars 26.) to discuss the volcanic eruption in Geldingadalir on the Reykjanes Peninsula.
A lot of data has been collected including on-site and remote measurements along with modeling work forecasting the event's possible behavior over the coming days. A report detailing the event's general status and proposals for regular monitoring will be released shortly.
Read moreThe weather in Iceland in 2020
The year 2020 was stormy. The average wind speed was remarkably high and number of windy days was unusually high.
The annual mean temperature at all stations was higher than the 1961 to 1990 mean, but below the average of the last ten years. It was relatively warmer in the East and Northeast but colder in the Southwest and West.
The year was wet in the North and East. The annual precipitation in Akureyri has never been higher since the beginning of registration in 1928.
Read more
The landslide in Seyðisfjörður is the largest landslide to have damaged an urban area in Iceland
From 15 to 18 December 2020, several landslides hit the town of Seyðisfjörður, destroying or damaging more than 10 buildings. Thankfully, there were no injuries. The largest landslide occurred on 15 December, and it ranks as the most damaging landslide to have affected an urban area in Iceland.
Read more
New article on glacier changes in Iceland over the past 130 years
An article recently published in the journal Frontiers in Earth Science on glacier changes in Iceland describes changes in the volume and mass of the Icelandic glaciers since they reached historical maximum extent at the end of the so-called Little Ice Age shortly before 1900. The results of a number of studies covering about 99% of the glacier area are summarized in the article, which is a collaborative effort of many glaciologists at several institutes that conduct measurements and research on glaciers in Iceland.
Read more
Significant ground deformation detected associated with recent earthquakes
Last week a series of earthquakes occurred on the Reykjanes Peninsula, between Fagradalsfjall and Kleifarvatn - the largest of which was a magnitude 5.6 earthquake in the vicinity of Núpshíðarháls, which occurred at 13:43 on 20th October. The maps displayed here show ground deformation associated with movement on faults during the period 16th-22nd October.
Read moreShort articles
Safetravel in winter
Increasingly, tourists come in winter to enjoy the beauty of the northern lights. Safety while travelling is always crucial, especially in winter conditions.
The web-site Safetravel is run by ICE-SAR in order to minimize the risk of accidents in travelling and tourism in Iceland.
Thorough information on safe travelling can be found there. The 112 Iceland app can be downloaded and your travel plan can be left in safe hands before you go. Additionally, a personal location beacon can be rented at two pick-up places.
Read moreNew publications and research
- Guðfinna Aðalgeirsdóttir, Eyjólfur Magnússon, Finnur Pálsson, Thorsteinn Thorsteinsson, Joaquín M.C. Belart, Tómas Jóhannesson, Hrafnhildur Hannesdóttir et al (2020). Glacier Changes in Iceland From ∼1890 to 2019. Frontiers in Earth Science. doi.org/10.3389/feart.2020.523646.
- E. Gaidos, T. Jóhannesson, B. Einarsson, Th. Thorsteinsson, J.P. Amend & M. Skidmore (2020). Après Nous, le Déluge: A Human‐Triggered Jökulhlaup from a Subglacial Lake. Geophysical Research Lettes doi.org/10.1029/2020GL089876
- Zoya Farajpour; Milad Kowsari; Shahram Pezeshk; Benedikt Halldorsson (2020). Ranking of Ground‐Motion Models (GMMs) for Use in Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis for Iran Based on an Independent Data Set. BSSA October 20, 2020. doi.org/10.1785/0120200052.