The effects of today's storm have been felt around Iceland. Major roads have been closed to ensure the safety of travellers. All domestic flights have been canceled, Reykjavík Excursions has cancelled all tours and a plane from easyJet had to abandon it's attempts to land at Keflavík International Airport.
Read more: A list of which roads will be closed today
The storm will slow down in South and West Iceland by tonight, and by midnight in the North East.
Keflavík Airport: Passengers from England couldn't land
The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service RÚV reports that at noon a passenger plane from easyJet, on route from Luton, England, was forced to return after having made unsuccessful attempts to land at Keflavík Airport.
Several other planes, including a SAS plane from Oslo, Norway, were circling the airport waiting for an opportunity to land. No other planes have been reported to have been forced to turn away from Keflavík Airport due to the storm.
Ring Road 1: Three buses skid off road
At least three tour buses skidded off the road due to the storm. No injuries were reported in any of the accidents.
Vísir reports that this morning a driver of a bus carrying 51 passengers lost control of the vehicle due rain and wind west of the village Vík in South Iceland. Local Search and Rescue units came to the assistance of the passengers and driver, ensuring the bus would not tip over over where it had landed off the road.
Read more: Storm warning for today: Major roads closed, people advised not to travel
Shortly after 9am this morning two tour buses skidded off the road in Kjalarnes in the northern outskirts of Reykjavík where Ring Road 1 runs along the southern slopes of mount Esja. Vísir reports that none of the passengers were injured. In addition to the two tour buses several passenger vehicles skid off the road in Kjalarnes due to the severe weather, and many more got stuck on the road.
The passengers of the buses and the passenger cars were all taken to a local elementary school where an emergency center was established. According to RÚV more than 200 travellers sought refuge in the school.
Most travellers heeded the warnings
In addition to warnings in media, ICE-SAR sent a warning to more than 3000 tour operators and companies in the tourism industry warning people of the weather, RÚV reports. These efforts were successful, Vísir reports. Spokesmen for ICE-SAR and the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration told Vísir that all major tourist destinations in the vicinity of the capital and around Iceland are virtually empty.
The effects of today's storm have been felt around Iceland. Major roads have been closed to ensure the safety of travellers. All domestic flights have been canceled, Reykjavík Excursions has cancelled all tours and a plane from easyJet had to abandon it's attempts to land at Keflavík International Airport.
Read more: A list of which roads will be closed today
The storm will slow down in South and West Iceland by tonight, and by midnight in the North East.
Keflavík Airport: Passengers from England couldn't land
The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service RÚV reports that at noon a passenger plane from easyJet, on route from Luton, England, was forced to return after having made unsuccessful attempts to land at Keflavík Airport.
Several other planes, including a SAS plane from Oslo, Norway, were circling the airport waiting for an opportunity to land. No other planes have been reported to have been forced to turn away from Keflavík Airport due to the storm.
Ring Road 1: Three buses skid off road
At least three tour buses skidded off the road due to the storm. No injuries were reported in any of the accidents.
Vísir reports that this morning a driver of a bus carrying 51 passengers lost control of the vehicle due rain and wind west of the village Vík in South Iceland. Local Search and Rescue units came to the assistance of the passengers and driver, ensuring the bus would not tip over over where it had landed off the road.
Read more: Storm warning for today: Major roads closed, people advised not to travel
Shortly after 9am this morning two tour buses skidded off the road in Kjalarnes in the northern outskirts of Reykjavík where Ring Road 1 runs along the southern slopes of mount Esja. Vísir reports that none of the passengers were injured. In addition to the two tour buses several passenger vehicles skid off the road in Kjalarnes due to the severe weather, and many more got stuck on the road.
The passengers of the buses and the passenger cars were all taken to a local elementary school where an emergency center was established. According to RÚV more than 200 travellers sought refuge in the school.
Most travellers heeded the warnings
In addition to warnings in media, ICE-SAR sent a warning to more than 3000 tour operators and companies in the tourism industry warning people of the weather, RÚV reports. These efforts were successful, Vísir reports. Spokesmen for ICE-SAR and the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration told Vísir that all major tourist destinations in the vicinity of the capital and around Iceland are virtually empty.
