Flood warning for Hvítá and Ölfusá
Warning due to flooding - update
During the last 24 hours, the Hvítá - Ölfusá catchment has received over 50 mm of rain. This rainfall is continuing to increase river levels in Hvítá and its tributary rivers, especially Stóra Laxá. The combination of mild weather and intense rain is also encouraging snow to melt, which further contributes to the ongoing flood.
At 13:00 today, 26 February, the discharge of Hvítá at Fremstaver, in the northern part of the catchment, was 520 cubic metres per second. It will take floodwater in this region several hours to drain south, so maximum discharge will not be reached in the lower part of Hvítá until later this evening or early tomorrow.
The discharge of Ölfusá in Selfoss is presently 1,170 cubic metres per second, and it is likely that discharge levels will exceed 1,300 cubic metres per second at the peak of the flood. The last flood to reach a similar discharge in the Hvítá - Ölfusá catchment occurred in December 2007, when a discharge of 1,300 cubic metres per second was recorded in Selfoss.
Additional rainfall is forecast for the region this evening, followed by colder, drier conditions. River levels should decrease significantly in the coming days.
