East Iceland Hits 24°C In May

Temperatures near Egilsstaðir reached 24.2°C yesterday, making it one of the hottest May days on record, reports RÚV. A meteorologist from the Icelandic Met Office notes this is among the highest temperatures typically seen this time of year.

Today, much of the country can expect light, variable winds and clear skies. The southwest and west will see more cloud cover, with southerly winds reaching 8–15 m/s.

Temperatures will range between 13°C and 23°C, with the warmest conditions continuing in the north and east.

According to the Icelandic Met Office, a high-pressure system near the Faroe Islands and a low-pressure system south of Cape Farewell are working together to channel warm air over Iceland. This pattern is expected to persist in the coming days.

“The aforementioned high is forecast to remain nearly stationary near the Faroes through the week, so the heatwave will continue. It will be sunny and warm in many areas, though we add the caveat that fog may appear in some coastal locations,” says the Icelandic Met Office.

The highest temperatures in the past 24 hours were recorded at Hallormsstaður (23.6°C) and Egilsstaðir Airport (24.2°C). “It’s clear that the current temperatures are among the highest we can expect in May — a real taste of summer,” the meteorologist adds. For comparison, the all-time May record is 25.6°C.

Sunny skies bring early opening to Nauthólsvík

Thanks to the sunny forecast in Reykjavík, the Nauthólsvík geothermal beach has opened two weeks earlier than usual. Starting today, it will be open daily from 10:00 to 19:00.

The early opening comes in response to the favourable weather outlook and the temporary closure of several city swimming pools for maintenance.