Numerous Icelanders Stranded in Tenerife

Numerous Icelanders are stranded on the island of Tenerife, due to a sandstorm that has been raging in the area since yesterday. The island – a favorite destination for Icelanders needing a break from limited visibility and strong wind gusts - is the largest among the Canary Islands, located about 100 km off the coast of Northwest Africa.

Little did they know they’d end up stranded in the sunny paradise, due to limited visibility and strong wind gusts.

All flights to and from the island were canceled yesterday, due to the sand storm, according to mbl.is. Hundreds of flights were canceled, including Norwegian flights between Keflavík International Airport and Tenerife.  One flight each way was originally scheduled by the airline yesterday. The sand, plaguing the islanders, originates in the Sahara desert.

A Norwegian flight that had been scheduled to leave Tenerife at 8 am this morning was postponed. It is now scheduled to land in Keflavík at 7:55 pm instead of 1:35 pm, mbl.is reports.

According to Karl Rafnsson, who is a guide on the island for the travel agency Vita, this sand storm is the worst one to hit the island in 20 years. Yesterday, the concentration of airborne particles measured ten times the average, visibility was limited, and wind gusts were up to 33 m/sec.