Members of the Search and Rescue Unit Víkverji, located in Vík in Mýrdalur in South Iceland, came to the aid of 19 people who were left stranded on the road between Pétursey and Skógar during the storm that battered the country on Sunday.
The strongest gusts of wind measured 63 metres per second (141 mph) by Sandfell in Öræfi, South Iceland. However, the anemometer in Sandfell was ripped apart by a strong blast of wind shortly after, leaving no information on wind speed in the area after 6pm. The strongest ten-minute average wind speed measured 46 metres per second (103 mph) by cape Stórhöfði on Heimaey island, South Iceland.
“The weather was atrocious. The wind blew around sand and rocks, breaking numerous car windows and leaving the passengers inside exposed to the cold and snow. People were absolutely terrified,” Orri Örvarsson, a member of Víkverji, told Vísir.
The majority of people who needed assistance were foreign travellers. The people were transported to Hótel Skaftafell where they received care and spent the night.
“We’ve experienced countless storms of a similar magnitude this winter. The only difference this time was that there were more people attempting to get around despite weather warnings. The people who came to stay at Hótel Skaftafell were quite upset, many were crying while others were in shock,” said Jónína G. Aradóttir who works at the hotel.
“People need to be better informed when travelling in Iceland in winter. There were a few individuals who knew about the storm warning but decided to head off anyway. I think many tend to underestimate the weather in Iceland,” she concluded.
Members of the Search and Rescue Unit Víkverji, located in Vík in Mýrdalur in South Iceland, came to the aid of 19 people who were left stranded on the road between Pétursey and Skógar during the storm that battered the country on Sunday.
The strongest gusts of wind measured 63 metres per second (141 mph) by Sandfell in Öræfi, South Iceland. However, the anemometer in Sandfell was ripped apart by a strong blast of wind shortly after, leaving no information on wind speed in the area after 6pm. The strongest ten-minute average wind speed measured 46 metres per second (103 mph) by cape Stórhöfði on Heimaey island, South Iceland.
“The weather was atrocious. The wind blew around sand and rocks, breaking numerous car windows and leaving the passengers inside exposed to the cold and snow. People were absolutely terrified,” Orri Örvarsson, a member of Víkverji, told Vísir.
The majority of people who needed assistance were foreign travellers. The people were transported to Hótel Skaftafell where they received care and spent the night.
“We’ve experienced countless storms of a similar magnitude this winter. The only difference this time was that there were more people attempting to get around despite weather warnings. The people who came to stay at Hótel Skaftafell were quite upset, many were crying while others were in shock,” said Jónína G. Aradóttir who works at the hotel.
“People need to be better informed when travelling in Iceland in winter. There were a few individuals who knew about the storm warning but decided to head off anyway. I think many tend to underestimate the weather in Iceland,” she concluded.
