Cyclone Touches Down Tomorrow Evening

A clearer picture has emerged about the cyclone approaching Iceland, according to the latest from the Icelandic Met Office.

As reported, a yellow alert for Friday predicts a low pressure area down to 930 hectopascals (hPa), comparable to some of the worst storms Iceland has ever experienced.

It now appears as though the cyclone will begin to touch down tomorrow evening, if forecast wind data holds true.

Coming in from the southwest, the low pressure system will start to bring in winds up to 14 to 22 metres per second across the southwest by 18:00 tomorrow. By midnight, winds will start to break the low to mid 20s in South Iceland.

As the low pressure system moves across the country, from the southwest to the northeast, the worst of it will roar over Iceland by noon on Friday. At that time, the southwest will see wind speeds from 28 to 32 metres per second, while the east and northeast will deal with winds from 18 to 22 metres per second.

Mercifully, it will be mostly dry across the country, with the exception of the southeast, which could experience mixed rain and snow. But temperatures across the country will be below freezing, from -2°C to -4°C, apart from the south coast, where temperatures will be at freezing to a few degrees above zero.

While this storm is expected to rage through Friday night and into the early morning hours, calm should be restored by around 3:00 on Saturday.

All this being the case, road travel from Thursday evening until Saturday morning is not advised, and flights on Friday may be cancelled. As always, check both the weather forecast and road conditions before you travel.