Sheep brought indoors due to severe weather

“It’s a hassle having to keep the sheep inside, but that’s how it has to be until conditions improve,” says Benedikt Arnbjörnsson, a farmer at Bergsstaðir in South Þingeyjarsýsla, in an interview with mbl.is .

Due to heavy snowfall and worsening weather conditions, farmers across North Iceland have had to take urgent action, with some receiving assistance from local rescue teams to bring their sheep into shelter.

“Exactly a year since it went wrong”

Arnbjörnsson brought his flock indoors yesterday afternoon after severe weather was forecast, mindful of a similar weather situation last year.

“It’s exactly a year since everything went wrong here. I realized it meant nothing other than getting them inside,” he says.

Asked how the herding process went, Arnbjörnsson said it was smooth, as he keeps a large number of animals in spacious housing.

Rain expected to follow snow

According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office, heavy rainfall is expected in the coming days, particularly in the northern regions of Flateyjarskagi and Tröllaskagi.

“The forecast is for significant rain tomorrow and Thursday,” says Arnbjörnsson. “I might let them out again if the rain eases up.”

Rescue teams called to help

Farmers in areas around Ólafsfjörður and Dalvík received help from search and rescue teams last night and this morning to bring sheep to safety.

Around 10 p.m. last night, a farmer near Ólafsfjörður received assistance due to worsening snow conditions in Tröllaskagi. By 7 a.m. today, rescue crews were also dispatched to Skíðadalur, near Dalvík, under similar circumstances.

“The farmer had prepared in advance based on the forecast. But the snowfall turned out to be heavier than expected, and he believed his livestock was at risk. He requested help,” says Jón Þór Víglundsson, spokesperson for Landsbjörg, the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue.