A severe storm will be touching down in Iceland in the early afternoon today, with wind speeds that will effectively shut down the entire country—including road travel out of Reykjavík. The storm is forecast to be so severe that a “red warning” has been issued, for the northwest of the country, for the first time since the colour alert system was established.
As can be seen on the official page of the Icelandic Met Office, gale force winds from 23 to 28 metres per second are predicted across the country from now until very early Thursday morning. Snowfall will be especially heavy in the northeast.
A violent blizzard is also forecast for the northwestern region of the country, with winds from 25 to 33 metres per second, during the peak times of this storm, which will be from Tuesday evening until early Wednesday morning.
It is expected that schools, workplaces, and numerous government institutions—with the exceptions of the Rescue Squad and the fleets of snowploughs in the north—will not be operating.
All this being the case, it would be positively dangerous to attempt driving during these times. Wherever you are, stay put until the storm ends. Travel is dangerous. Better to eat the expense of tacking on a day or two extra at your hotel than to venture out and put yourself or others at risk.
If you’re feeling particularly morbid, you can watch the storm wash over Iceland in real time here.
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