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Rich mt
  • Rich mt
  • Advanced Member Topic Starter
06 December 2015 11:53:21

  Gretings all, thought I'd start a thread dedicated to Iceland's winter weather. For years I've marvelled at the variation and intensity of the winter weather in the North Atlantic and around Iceland. So anyway with Hurricane force winds forcast for parts of Iceland tomorrow, I thought it would be a good time to start this for anyone intrested.


 Looks like there will be wide spread storm force winds across the country with some pockets in the lee of mountains and glaciers seeing mean winds easily of Hurricane force. I'll be watching reports from The Westman islands (just off the South coast of Iceland) with particular intrest as winds are forcast to reach a mean of 40 m/s during Monday evening. Temps look to be rising to about frezzing or just above around the South coast so not much snow but imagine the wind chill!


The best website is the Icelandic Met Office web page, they have excellent forcast graphics.


Hope this may stir intrest in some of you


 


 


 


 


 


 


Poole, Dorset
Solar Cycles
06 December 2015 13:29:12
Welcome to two Rich, batten down the hatches but I suppose you lot up there are use to wild weather.
doctormog
06 December 2015 13:33:27
Good idea Rich. Iceland does seem to get some very wild weather in winter time. Not so much deep cold or even excessive amounts of snow (thanks to the Gulf Stream) but rather some very intense storms and associated very strong winds. A fascinating country of fire and ice and somewhere on my list of places to visit.
Rich mt
  • Rich mt
  • Advanced Member Topic Starter
06 December 2015 13:39:28

Hi Solar Cycles, well not quite, I have been there twice and a beautiful place it is too, but I live in Poole UK.
Poole, Dorset
DEW
  • DEW
  • Advanced Member
06 December 2015 14:40:54

But Icelandic winters can last a long time. We visited in late May about 20 years ago, and one leg of our tour which was supposed to be by bus had to be completed by air because the roads were still blocked by snow. 


Also visited the Westmann Islands, and had the alarming experience of flying between a cloud ceiling at about 700 feet and the sea, when the Islands came in sight - the runway starts at the top of a 500-foot cliff so there was a couple of hundred feet clear to slot into. The weather cleared for a lovely day, but it was all scramble at 4pm as the mist was coming down to the same level as in the morning. We read in the guide book afterward that you should never visit the Westmanns on the last day of your holiday - you could get stick there!


War does not determine who is right, only who is left - Bertrand Russell

Chichester 12m asl
Joe Bloggs
06 December 2015 15:11:26

Iceland has a BRILLIANT winter climate IMO. PROPER cold zonality. 


Loads of snow, loads of severe wind storms, and often a combination of the two. Occasionally mild too, with variations to make it even more interesting. 


I've visited Akureyri and they can get some serious winter weather, more so than Reykjavik.


Reykjavik had a decent snow event last week I believe? 


Great idea for a thread, one of my favourite places. 



Manchester City Centre, 31m ASL

Solar Cycles
06 December 2015 15:32:37

Hi Solar Cycles, well not quite, I have been there twice and a beautiful place it is too, but I live in Poole UK.

Originally Posted by: Rich mt 

Lol, like the doc it's on my list of fascinating places to visit.

snow 2004
06 December 2015 16:08:27


Iceland has a BRILLIANT winter climate IMO. PROPER cold zonality. 


Loads of snow, loads of severe wind storms, and often a combination of the two. Occasionally mild too, with variations to make it even more interesting. 


I've visited Akureyri and they can get some serious winter weather, more so than Reykjavik.


Reykjavik had a decent snow event last week I believe? 


Great idea for a thread, one of my favourite places. 


Originally Posted by: Joe Bloggs 


 


They did indeed. Reykjavik broke its December lying snow record in the first three days. I have a mate that lives there and he said there was about 50cm of snow.


When I went a couple of years ago in November the temperature was up and down like a yoyo. Very mobile climate. 


 


Glossop Derbyshire, 200m asl
Charmhills
06 December 2015 18:02:26

Good idea Rich. Iceland does seem to get some very wild weather in winter time. Not so much deep cold or even excessive amounts of snow (thanks to the Gulf Stream) but rather some very intense storms and associated very strong winds. A fascinating country of fire and ice and somewhere on my list of places to visit.

Originally Posted by: doctormog 


I'd love to visit Iceland.


Loughborough, EM.

Knowledge is power, ignorance is weakness.

Duane.
picturesareme
06 December 2015 18:07:26
http://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/news/2014/12/10/farmer_films_crazy_storm/ 

Check the video out - that's a wintry Icelandic morning 😍
Patrick01
06 December 2015 19:05:22


Iceland has a BRILLIANT winter climate IMO. PROPER cold zonality. 


Loads of snow, loads of severe wind storms, and often a combination of the two. Occasionally mild too, with variations to make it even more interesting. 


I've visited Akureyri and they can get some serious winter weather, more so than Reykjavik.


Reykjavik had a decent snow event last week I believe? 


Great idea for a thread, one of my favourite places. 


Originally Posted by: Joe Bloggs 


 


Always wanted to visit Akureyri during a screaming winter northerly Joe. Iceland is top of my list and it's way more accessible than it used to be now. I'd ideally go during the winter so I could experience the howling gales and snow... I think the winter darkness would just add to the atmosphere 


 


Certainly looks pretty windy up there tomorrow evening. 


 

TimS
  • TimS
  • Advanced Member
06 December 2015 19:38:59
Iceland is beautiful and weird. Only been there once but it was one of my favourite holidays. We had rain and wind, but I did have the honour of sitting in front of Bjork on the plane.
Brockley, South East London 30m asl
doctormog
06 December 2015 20:09:46

Iceland is beautiful and weird. Only been there once but it was one of my favourite holidays. We had rain and wind, but I did have the honour of sitting in front of Bjork on the plane.

Originally Posted by: TimS 


I hope she wasn't singing 


More info on Icelandic storm at the following link


http://www.ruv.is/frett/hurricane-force-winds-tomorrow


 


AIMSIR
06 December 2015 22:08:35


 


I'd love to visit Iceland.


Originally Posted by: Charmhills 

Had the pleasure of visiting that wonderful country a few years back and will go again for sure.


Good webcam link below.


I drop in for a visit on a regular basis.


They have had a lot of snowy cold weather lately.They can have big swings up there, especially in the South.


Mila - Live from Iceland: webcams from Reykjavik, Akureyri ...


Another handy link for the thread.


Home-page - Icelandic Meteorological Office | Icelandic ...

Gusty
06 December 2015 22:10:30

A sustained 58mph Easterly wind in heavy rain and a temperature of 6c will feel bracing tomorrow evening on the south coast. 


http://wxweb.meteostar.com/sample/sample.shtml?text=BIKF


 


Steve - Folkestone, Kent
Current conditions from my Davis Vantage Vue
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/IFOLKE11 
Join Kent Weather on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/stevewall69/ 



doctormog
06 December 2015 22:19:05


A sustained 58mph Easterly wind in heavy rain and a temperature of 6c will feel bracing tomorrow evening on the south coast. 


http://wxweb.meteostar.com/sample/sample.shtml?text=BIKF


 


Originally Posted by: Gusty 


Typical Aberdeen day...


 


 


 


 


... in summer. 


AIMSIR
06 December 2015 22:26:22


 


Typical Aberdeen day...


 


 


 


 


... in summer. 


Originally Posted by: doctormog 

Rich mt
  • Rich mt
  • Advanced Member Topic Starter
07 December 2015 12:56:27

Doesn't Iceland feel further away today! It's so mild and sunny down here.

Iceland is great I'd love to spend more time there, the Westmann Islands was my favorite, magical yes and bizzare landscape. Just looked at the weather station Stórhöfði on Heimaey and it's already E 25 m/s gusting 32 m/s. Thanks for the support all, good to see others out there are intrested in Iceland's weather!
Poole, Dorset
Lionel Hutz
07 December 2015 13:53:36

Given how popular Iceland is with TWO posters, perhaps TWO should organise a winter meet-up in Reykjavik


The Icelandic met office website is well worth checking out. I'm afraid I can't seem to paste a link but if you google "Vedur", you'll find it. If your Icelandic is a bit rusty, there's an icon to switch to English. If you click "Weather", you can get to North Atlantic forecasts which covers the whole of the North Atlantic, including UK/Ireland. They've got some excellent charts showing 850ha charts, precipitation and cloud cover. It's as good as any national met service site.


 


Lionel Hutz
Nr.Waterford , S E Ireland
68m ASL



Gusty
07 December 2015 15:19:08
Rich mt
  • Rich mt
  • Advanced Member Topic Starter
07 December 2015 18:34:17

So station Stórhöfði on the Westmann islands now showing 40 m/s gusting 49 m/s (89 mph gusting 109 mph), this weather station is about 100m asl, be intresting to know the wind speed in town.
Poole, Dorset
idj20
07 December 2015 19:11:36


A sustained 58mph Easterly wind in heavy rain and a temperature of 6c will feel bracing tomorrow evening on the south coast. 


http://wxweb.meteostar.com/sample/sample.shtml?text=BIKF


 


Originally Posted by: Gusty 



For a moment there, I thought you were referring to Folkestone on a typical April's day.   

But I do agree that Iceland's climate is dramatic at the best of times, certainly a weather fan's paradise but I'm not sure I'd want to move there just for the climate. On the other hand, it is also a landscape photographer's dream with ice on black sand, snowfields, northern lights, volcanic eruptions, etc. I wouldn't know where to start!

I do check up Reykjavik's weather report on a daily basis just out of curiousity, it's really quite similar to Port Stanley at the Falkland Islands - apart from seasons being at the opposite end.


Folkestone Harbour. 
Gusty
07 December 2015 20:24:42

It would appear from the webcams that people are staying indoors. Its very quiet out there. 


http://www.livefromiceland.is/webcams/austurvollur/


 


Steve - Folkestone, Kent
Current conditions from my Davis Vantage Vue
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/IFOLKE11 
Join Kent Weather on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/stevewall69/ 



idj20
07 December 2015 20:39:35


It would appear from the webcams that people are staying indoors. Its very quiet out there. 


http://www.livefromiceland.is/webcams/austurvollur/


 


Originally Posted by: Gusty 



Them poor Beswick swans sitting in that lake, riding it out: http://www.livefromiceland.is/webcams/reykjavikurtjorn/


Folkestone Harbour. 

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