Saturday afternoon the warmest area in Iceland will be the central highlands north of Vatnajökull glacier. This is highly unusual as this is Iceland's most unforgiving area where long cold winters have relentlessly stripped the ground of almost all vegetation.
Not so on Saturday as at 16.00 (4pm) the Icelandic Met Office (IMO) predicts that the mercury will climb all the way to 19 decrees Celsius (66 F). However only eight hours later, at 4.00 in the morning on Sunday, it will have plunged down to -4 C (25 F). That’s a swing of 23 degrees Celsius (73.4 F)!
So if you are heading to the area, be sure to pack shorts, long johns and a thick jacket. And as we have said before please keep in mind that due to the rising temperatures roads and vegetation in the highlands are in a vulnerable state and can be easily damaged. The snow is melting fast and the frozen earth is thawing so even just walking can inflict long lasting scars on the ground.
IMO’s forecast
Saturday
Easterly winds, 5 to13 m/s (11 to 29 mph) at the south and east coast, calmer winds elsewhere. Cloudy and light intermittent rain in the south and west part today, mostly dry tomorrow. Partly cloudy or fair in the north and east part but some fog patches overnight. Temperature 12 to 19 C (54 to 66 F) during daytime, warmest inland.
Sunday
Easterly and northeasterly 5 to 10 m/s (11 to 22 mph). Widely fair in the south and west parts, partly cloudy in the north and east part with fog out by the coast. Temperatures 7 to 18 C (45 to 64 F), warmest inland in the west.
Saturday afternoon the warmest area in Iceland will be the central highlands north of Vatnajökull glacier. This is highly unusual as this is Iceland's most unforgiving area where long cold winters have relentlessly stripped the ground of almost all vegetation.
Not so on Saturday as at 16.00 (4pm) the Icelandic Met Office (IMO) predicts that the mercury will climb all the way to 19 decrees Celsius (66 F). However only eight hours later, at 4.00 in the morning on Sunday, it will have plunged down to -4 C (25 F). That’s a swing of 23 degrees Celsius (73.4 F)!
So if you are heading to the area, be sure to pack shorts, long johns and a thick jacket. And as we have said before please keep in mind that due to the rising temperatures roads and vegetation in the highlands are in a vulnerable state and can be easily damaged. The snow is melting fast and the frozen earth is thawing so even just walking can inflict long lasting scars on the ground.
IMO’s forecast
Saturday
Easterly winds, 5 to13 m/s (11 to 29 mph) at the south and east coast, calmer winds elsewhere. Cloudy and light intermittent rain in the south and west part today, mostly dry tomorrow. Partly cloudy or fair in the north and east part but some fog patches overnight. Temperature 12 to 19 C (54 to 66 F) during daytime, warmest inland.
Sunday
Easterly and northeasterly 5 to 10 m/s (11 to 22 mph). Widely fair in the south and west parts, partly cloudy in the north and east part with fog out by the coast. Temperatures 7 to 18 C (45 to 64 F), warmest inland in the west.
