Severe Gale Makes Hiking Hazardous

The Icelandic Met Office has issued a severe gale warning for the following areas:

South Iceland (effective until noon tomorrow), Faxaflói bay in Southwest and West Iceland (effective from 4 pm today until 9 am tomorrow) and for the central highlands (effective between noon today and 3 pm).

The Met Office warns travelers that in the south and west, high winds can be hazardous for vehicles, and in the central highlands, all traveling would be dangerous.

Wind speeds of 18-25 m/sec are expected in South Iceland, with the windiest conditions along the south coast. Wind gusts near mountains, such as Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull glaciers, could exceed 35 m/sec, especially after 3 pm, according to the Icelandic Road Administration.

In the Faxaflói bay area, too, wind speeds of 18-25 m/sec are expected, with the windiest conditions on the Reykjanes peninsula and in the area between Reykjavík and Borgarnes. According to the Icelandic Road Administration, the windiest conditions in this area are expected between 6 and 9 pm. Be aware that wind gusts near mountains could exceed 35 m/sec, especially on Kjalarnes point and by Hafnarfjall mountain.

In the central highlands, a severe gale or storm is forecast, with wind speeds of 20-28 m/sec, while wind gusts near mountains could be as strong as 30-40 m/sec, accompanied by blowing sand.

Travelers should avoid hiking in the central highlands and delay travel plans there until conditions improve. Please follow the latest travel alerts on safetravel.is and the weather forecast on en.vedur.is.