Possible Cyclone Touching Down In Iceland This Friday

The latest alert from the Icelandic Met Office predicts easterly strong gales and a violent storm to touch down very early Friday morning, and lasting for at least 24 hours. A clearer picture on what parts of the country can expect what kind of wind speeds should appear tomorrow, but as it stands now the storm definitely bears all the hallmarks of a cyclone.

The forecast predicts an exceptionally deep low pressure system moving over the country from the southwest on early Friday morning. The pressure is predicted to get down to 930 hectopascals (hPa). This is unusually low, comparable to some of the worst storms Iceland has ever experienced, and is most definitely a cyclone.

However, it bears mentioning that hPa does not tell the entire story. Exactly how severe the storm gets also depends a lot on how high the air pressure is in the surrounding area. An official at the Met Office that the Grapevine spoke with said that a clearer picture should emerge tomorrow regarding which parts of the country can expect what kinds of wind speeds.

As it stands now, however, the southern and eastern parts of the country can expect the heaviest precipitation, and the south will see the highest wind speeds. Any travel planned on this day should most definitely be postponed, although conditions are expected to relax somewhat by late afternoon.

As always, be sure to check both weather and road conditions before traveling anywhere in Iceland.