Exceptionally Warm Week in North and East

Meteorologists closely watched temperatures rise in North and East Iceland yesterday, wondering if Tuesday’s record for the year of 29.4°C (84.9°F), which registered in Hallormsstaður, East Iceland, would be broken. That didn’t happen, but temperatures at nearby Egilsstaðir Airport came close, reaching 28.4°C (83.1°F).

Meanwhile, gardeners at Akureyri Botanical Garden, North Iceland, ran around with hoses, quenching the thirst of thousands of plants.

Residents in the east and north have enjoyed exceptionally warm weather in recent days. Even in the highlands, at Eyjabakkar, the temperature soared to 24.7°C (76.5°F) on Tuesday. That day’s lows for the whole country are the highest on record since automatic weather stations were taken into use 20 years ago, according to meteorologist Trausti Jónsson, Morgunblaðið reports.

In Akureyri, students at Akureyri Junior College took their textbooks outside yesterday, while in Húsavík, North Iceland, children enjoyed playing outside.

In Þórshöfn, Northeast Iceland, classes were taught outside, and children waded in the ocean; and in Egilsstaðir, East Iceland, kids cooled off in Eyvindará river.