Latest news - Iceland Monitor

In Iceland we talk about "window weather" when it is beautiful to look at from the warmth of your home, but can be too cold to actually venture outside.

"Gorgeous weather" in 28 degrees of frost

yesterday, 19:00 GMT "It's absolutely freezing outside. People are more or less staying inside unless they have to do something special," says Sigurlína Tryggvadóttir, a farmer in Svartárkot in Bárðardalur, in an interview with mbl.is.

The freezing cold did not stop Björgvinsdóttir and her friends from dipping into the ice cold sea.

New Year's Eve swim in -22 degrees C

yesterday, 17:03 GMT Radio host Kristín Sif Björgvinsdóttir went for a New Year's Eve swim in the Mývatn region in -22 degrees below zero Celcius.

Fourteen bonfires in the capital area

yesterday, 14:15 GMT There will be fourteen New Year's Eve bonfires in the capital area today and tonight. The weather forecast is good for the evening and people are encouraged to wear protective glasses.

The weather might be bad this evening and into the night, causing Hellisheiði to be closed.

Hellisheiði might not be passable this evening and night

two days ago There is a risk that Hellisheiði will be impassable this evening and night due to severe weather that is expected to pass there.

The last earthquake above magnitude 3 occurred on December 19th.

Bárðarbunga is shaking

two days ago A magnitude 3.8 earthquake struck Bárðarbunga at around 4:30 yesterday. Increased activity at the volcano in recent months suggests it prepares for an eruption.

Skiers flock to the slopes: “A glorious day”

two days ago More than four thousand people made their way to Mt Bláfjöll skiing resort yesterday, as the unexpectedly calm and mild weather yesterday was ideal for a ski trip. “It was a fantastic day,” said Einar Bjarnason, the ski resort’s operations manager, in an interview with Morgunblaðið. He said that yesterday had been the busiest day of the winter.

Hilmarsdóttir's friends went with her on her 300th trip yesterday.

Made 300 trips up Esja this year

29 Dec Hafdís Guðrún Hilmarsdóttir, a running enthusiast, made her 300th trip up Esja yesterday. In an interview with mbl.is, she says there was no particular goal to achieve this number of trips this year.

The driving condition in Klettsháls is difficult now.

Rescue teams called out last night

29 Dec A driver was stuck on Klettsháls in the southern Westfjords for two to three hours last night. Rescue teams were sent to the scene, but at first, it was believed that the driver was on Dynjandisheiði.

President of Iceland, Halla Tómasdóttir; Kristrún Frostadóttir, the new Prime Minister and Guðrún Karls Helgudóttir, the new Bishop of Iceland.

Delivering their first New Year's addresses

28 Dec The major changes that have taken place in the country's highest offices this year are newsworthy for many reasons, not least the fact that women now hold the positions of prime minister, president and bishop.

Kári Stefánsson is interviewed in detail in Tímamótar, Morgunblaðið's New Year's Eve issue, and discusses the company's research and more.

Risk comes from older fathers, not mothers

28 Dec “We have shown how new mutations come much more often from the father than from the mother,” says Kári Stefánsson, CEO of DeCode Genetics.

Crowd at Arnarhóll in downtown Reykjavík.

The number is approaching 81 thousand

27 Dec More than 80,500 foreign citizens were registered as residents of Iceland on December 1, according to the National Register of Iceland. This means that about a fifth of the population is of foreign origin.

Rescue workers rescued the people. The photo is from mbl.is photo archives.

Bus with over 20 passengers went off the road

27 Dec A bus with over 20 passengers on board went off the road on Þingvellir Road near Úlfljótsvatn last night and was stuck and got nowhere.

Frost can drop to 13 to 18 degrees this weekend.

Forecast 13-18 degrees of frost in the city

27 Dec Residents of the capital area can expect considerable cold this weekend, with frosts that can drop to 13 to 18 degrees.

From the starlit swimming pool of KR. Swimming culture is rich in Iceland.

Christmas swim in the wind and snow

24 Dec A swim on Christmas Eve is a rich tradition for many.

In the Cathedral, Ástbjörn Egilsson was for a long time the churchwarden and executive director of the parish committee.

Has been working on Christmas Eve for 25 years

24 Dec As the church bells ring in Christmas at six o’clock today, on Christmas Eve, Ástbjörn Egilsson is at work in Reykjavík Cathedral as he has done at this time every year since 1999. “It’s wonderful to be in church on Christmas Eve, as it is on all days,” he says. “It’s a good community and it gets even better on big holidays like Christmas and Easter.”