Warmest October in 170 years in parts of Iceland
Reykjavik has never seen a wetter October. Photo: Iceland Monitor/Eggert Jóhannesson
The West Iceland town of Stykkishólmur saw an average temperature of 7.9°C (45.7°F) last – the highest ever October average temperature there since records began in 1846.
The capital Reykjavik and the North Iceland town of Akureyri also saw unseasonable high temperatures last month.
The average temperature in October in Akureyri was 7.5°C (45.5°F). This is 4.5°C degrees above the average for the period 1961-90 and the second highest average temperature there ever, second only to October 1946.
In Reykjavik, one has to go right back to 1915 to find a warmer October than the last month. The 2016 average temperature was 7.8°C (46.0°F), 3.4°C degrees above the average for the period 1961-90.
The highest average temperature last month was recorded in the East Iceland towns of Seyðisfjörður and Neskaupstaður – 8.9°C (48.0°F).
As regards rainfall, Reykjavik saw 206.9 mm last month – by far the highest level on record and just over double the average. Akureyri, on the othe hand, had a very dry October, with just 19.6 mm – the lowest since 1993.
Many coastal areas of Iceland saw no freezing temperatures at all in October, a most unusual state of affairs. Photo: AFP
