A storm warning has been issued for today. ICE SAR warns travellers of violent storm, advising that travellers that travel is not recommended today. According to ICE SAR safetravel.is website:
Very bad driving conditions in all Iceland due to very strong winds (gusts exceeding 35 m/s), snow and limited visibility on mountain roads! Travel not recommended!
The worst conditions are expected in South Iceland. The violent storm is expected to blow up a sandstorm on the glacial outwash plains in South Iceland, as well as creating extremely challenging driving conditions due to violent gusts.
The Ring Road in S.Iceland to be closed
Icelandic Road and Coastal Authority has announced it will close down the Ring Road between the village Kirkjubæjarklaustur in the west and Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon in the east. The closure will come into effect at 11:00. The IRCA has announced that the closing might be extended later today, with the western edge of the closed zone to the village Hvolsvöllur.
The area affected will then include popular tourist destinations in South Iceland, including the black sand beaches arnound the village Vík, Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls, Skaftafell visitor center in Vatnajökull National Park as well as Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon.
Dangerous driving conditions
The IRCA and Icelandic Meteorological Office warn that individual wind gusts in South East Iceland can easily reach hurricane force in the afternoon, 45 m/s (100 mph). Wind speeds of 15-25 m/s (33-56 mph) in other parts of Iceland.
Gusts of this magnitude can blow cars off the road, or cause motorists to lose control of their vehicles. Storms in this region also blow up sand, gravel and stones. Sand storms are quite common in South Iceland during violent winds like the ones we are seeing today. These storms can strip the paint off cars and destroy windshields.
Rental car insurance policies usually do not cover damage from sand storms, or stones thrown by wind.
Drivers can expect snow and sleet on mountain roads and heaths in other parts of Iceland.
Before heading out:
- Check the weather and road conditions on all major roads at with the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration.
- Check the weather forecast with the Icelandic Meteorological Office.
- Check for travel alerts or warnings from ICE-SAR at safetravel.is.
- Remember that road conditions are different along the coast than on mountain or heath roads.
- Remember that individual wind gusts can become extremely powerful along steep mountain slopes.
- Remember that the Ring Road can become impassable due to storms, even during spring.
And finally: Buckle up, respect the speed limit and remember that Icelandic roads don't have shoulders: If you lose control of the vehicle for even just a short moment you can easily suffer a rollover. The leading cause of fatal road accidents among foreign travellers in Iceland are roll-overs where the driver or passengers are not buckled up.
A storm warning has been issued for today. ICE SAR warns travellers of violent storm, advising that travellers that travel is not recommended today. According to ICE SAR safetravel.is website:
Very bad driving conditions in all Iceland due to very strong winds (gusts exceeding 35 m/s), snow and limited visibility on mountain roads! Travel not recommended!
The worst conditions are expected in South Iceland. The violent storm is expected to blow up a sandstorm on the glacial outwash plains in South Iceland, as well as creating extremely challenging driving conditions due to violent gusts.
The Ring Road in S.Iceland to be closed
Icelandic Road and Coastal Authority has announced it will close down the Ring Road between the village Kirkjubæjarklaustur in the west and Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon in the east. The closure will come into effect at 11:00. The IRCA has announced that the closing might be extended later today, with the western edge of the closed zone to the village Hvolsvöllur.
The area affected will then include popular tourist destinations in South Iceland, including the black sand beaches arnound the village Vík, Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls, Skaftafell visitor center in Vatnajökull National Park as well as Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon.
Dangerous driving conditions
The IRCA and Icelandic Meteorological Office warn that individual wind gusts in South East Iceland can easily reach hurricane force in the afternoon, 45 m/s (100 mph). Wind speeds of 15-25 m/s (33-56 mph) in other parts of Iceland.
Gusts of this magnitude can blow cars off the road, or cause motorists to lose control of their vehicles. Storms in this region also blow up sand, gravel and stones. Sand storms are quite common in South Iceland during violent winds like the ones we are seeing today. These storms can strip the paint off cars and destroy windshields.
Rental car insurance policies usually do not cover damage from sand storms, or stones thrown by wind.
Drivers can expect snow and sleet on mountain roads and heaths in other parts of Iceland.
Before heading out:
- Check the weather and road conditions on all major roads at with the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration.
- Check the weather forecast with the Icelandic Meteorological Office.
- Check for travel alerts or warnings from ICE-SAR at safetravel.is.
- Remember that road conditions are different along the coast than on mountain or heath roads.
- Remember that individual wind gusts can become extremely powerful along steep mountain slopes.
- Remember that the Ring Road can become impassable due to storms, even during spring.
And finally: Buckle up, respect the speed limit and remember that Icelandic roads don't have shoulders: If you lose control of the vehicle for even just a short moment you can easily suffer a rollover. The leading cause of fatal road accidents among foreign travellers in Iceland are roll-overs where the driver or passengers are not buckled up.
