The summer has been disappointing in most parts of Iceland so far, many people would agree. Even when the sun shines, it has been very cool.
This has been particularly true during the past four days. Akureyri, for example, has been experiencing its lowest June temperatures in three decades. [bold, links added]
The cold summer weather has been dominant across the country since mid-last-week.
Meteorologist Einar Sveinbjörnsson wrote this weekend on social media that Iceland is currently trapped between two large warm patches on both sides of the Atlantic.
It is definitely the coldest period after the Summer Solstice that has affected Iceland during the 21st century so far.
The average temperature in Akureyri did not even top six degrees Celsius this weekend.
“It is really just coincidence that mostly controls this. There is cold air here off to the northwest, which is normal for this time of year and on into the summer, but it was just persistent, directed here towards us, and went together with the northerly wind coming from the Arctic, and that’s why it’s been so cold,” Einar told RÚV today.
Cold snap over
He says it has been unusually warm on both sides of the Atlantic, but with colder air in between, pushing itself southward, and right over Iceland.
“Over the coming days, the temperature is set to push up a bit and we’ll get closer, as I say, to what we’ve got used to at this time of year. No major heat to speak of, but temperatures may be 10-15 degrees instead of 5-10.”
Einar says the longer-term forecast remains very unclear, but that the cold snap is at least over.
h/t Rúnar O.
Read more at RUV
