Landslide In Westfjords Closes Road

The Icelandic Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for every part of the country except Southwest Iceland. High winds and precipitation are expected in the next days.

In the Westfjords, a landslide fell near Hestfjörður, prompting the closure of the road to Ísafjörður. The ground movement blocked the river Rjúkandi and pinned four cars. No one was injured.

Shortly before the Hestfjörður landslide, a mudslide fell close to the Dýrafjörður tunnel. One car got stuck. The driver was rescued by police officers and Road Administration workers, said chief of Westfjords police Hlynur Hafberg Snorrason in a conversation with RÚV.

According to the Icelandic Met Office, towns are not threatened by mudslides, but police encourage people to check travel conditions before travelling between towns in the area.

Unusual temperatures

The low-pressure gale affecting most of the country also has strange side effects. In Northeast Iceland, temperatures have reached up to 21 degrees Celsius in places like Bakkagerði and Seyðisfjörður. According to the Icelandic Met Office, these instances are not entirely unprecedented, citing one case where temperatures reached 22 degrees in February in the same area.

The phenomenon is caused by low-pressure winds blowing warm air. “Low pressure in West Iceland pumps warm and humid air from the south. When humidity from the south and dry air coming off from the mountains meet, we get these temperatures,” meteorologist Eiríkur Örn Jóhannesson explained in a conversation with RÚV.

People travelling in the area are encouraged to monitor road safety at umferdin.is, safetravel.is, and by contacting 1777 via phone.