Orange weather alert and a few roads closed on this 39th day of summer
Snow had returned to Esja this morning. mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson
Various roads will be closed due to the storm that is due to hit today. Yellow and orange alerts are in effect.
The ring road through Mývatn and Möðrudalur highlands will be closed from 20:00 tonight. The same applies to the ring road through Öxnadalsheiði, which will be closed at 22:00. It is also likely that roads will be closed between Skaftafell and Djúpivogur in Southeast Iceland.
This is stated in a notice from the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration.
The ring road through Möðrudalsöræfi highlands is closed. mbl.is
Will last until Friday
The weather is expected to get worse as the day advances, and could continue until Friday. The forecast is based on overcast and light-weather winds, even those that are usually seen only in winter.
“In addition to the blizzard weather in north and northeast Iceland, attention is called for southeastern winds in the South with an NW- direction until evening. The winds will be strong between Höfn and Djúpivogur, with gusts of more than 30 m/s from the Eyjafjöll mountains and east of Reyðarfjörður,” the Road and Coastal Administration (Vegagerðin) stated in a statement.
It was snowing in Blönduós as can be seen on this picture that was taken this afternoon. mbl.is/Guðlaugur J. Albertsson
Unusual weather for this time of year
Snow can be seen in the mountains on this 39 th day of summer, however, temperatures will rise close to next weekend and possibly the snow will recede.
Katrín Agla Tómasdóttir, meteorologist at the Icelandic Met Office, says this is due to a cold low that is moving over Iceland and the northern direction that will persist this week.
“It looks like it’s going to be rather cold in the next few days,” she says, adding that it will be mildest in the south of Iceland.
Looks like winter mountains
Although temperatures are and will be mildest in southwest Iceland, many people in the capital noticed a white cap on Esja this morning, but snow had been gone for a while before today.
The same can be said about the residents of Húsavík, who could see mountains graying in Skjálfandi as can be seen in this picture.
Mountains by Skjálfandi are getting gray as can be seen on this picture taken in Húsavík this morning. mbl.is/Hafþór Hreiðarsson
Orange weather alert
An orange weather alert is on the cards and it is expected to worsen later today.
The forecast is for bad weather until Friday, which is very unusual for this time of year, both in terms of wind strength and low temperatures, and it is accompanied by heavy precipitation in the north.
