Thunderbolts And Lightning In East Iceland

Nearly 60 lightning strikes have been reported in the Eastfjords of Iceland, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office.

Many residents in the East of Iceland were woken up last Saturday night by heavy rainfall, thunder and lightning. As Austurfrétt reports, many at first believed that the noise that roused them from their sleep was from a landslide in the mountains.

As it turned out, a thunderstorm was rolling through the area, unloading a number of lightning stikes, many of which originated from the same cloud, according to meteorologist Daníel Þorláksson. The storm moved northwest and further inland throughout the early morning hours so there’s no more lightning expected in the East.

The lightning strikes are now recorded by the Icelandic Meteorological Office. People who have suffered damages following the strikes are asked to notify the office as, “That is how we learn about the risks that follow lightning,” as Daníel Þorláksson puts it.

As ever, those looking for more information or advice should go to the Icelandic Government’s excellent COVID-19 help page.

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