Glacial outburst flood in Skaftá river

A glacial outburst flood has begun in Skaftá river at Sveinstindur. This is confirmed by Kristín Elísa Guðmundsdóttir, a natural hazard specialist at the Icelandic Met Office, in a statement to mbl.is.

To access the situation a meeting was held on the flood  this morning and the estimation is that the flood is expected to be run as a conventional glacial outburst flood, similar to the one in 2021.

"Most likely it won't be bigger than that," Guðmundsdóttir says.

She says the flood has not yet peaked on the gauges at Sveinstindur mountain. Once it does reach its peak, around nine or ten hours later, the highway is expected to reach a glacial peak.

“So it could be tonight or night in itself where the flood reaches its peak at the road,” she says, but adds that it’s hard to tell.

Declare a leve of civil protection uncertainty

The National Police Commissioner in agreement with the Police Chief in South Iceland has declared  a level of civil protection uncertainty over the glacial outburst flood in Skaftá river.

The water level is rising in Skaftá and Eldvatn but the race has not yet peaked at Sveinstindur. About nine to ten hours after that, the glacier’s run is expected to peak at the highway.

Travelers advised to stay away

There is no information on whether the flood comes from Skaftá depression west or the eastern depression. In 2021, the race ran out of both depressions, and the Civil Protection Department reports that similar consequences can be expected.

“Hydrogen sulfide pollution can occur where glacial water comes from under a glacier and can damage mucous membranes in the respiratory system and eyes, and rivers can overflow banks and roads that are near them. Travelers are strongly advised to stay away from the channels of Skaftá valley and the edges of Skafttárjökull glacier, Tungnaárjökull glacier and Síðujökull glacier, during the flood.”