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Thursday, 29 October 2026 Icelandic stories. Global audience.
Volcanoes & Nature

Akureyri emergency teams on alert as severe weather and high sea levels forecast

Authorities in the northern Icelandic town of Akureyri are preparing for challenging weather and high seas tonight, raising concerns of a repeat of damaging floods seen in 2022.

Large cruise ship moored beside a small boat and quay (Oddeyri)
Image: Markus Trienke / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · licence, original (resized) Illustrative image.

Emergency response teams at Norðurorka, the municipal utility company in Akureyri, have entered an alert status due to expected poor weather conditions predicted for this evening and into the night, according to Akureyri.net, which first reported the story.

Forecasts indicate a particularly high sea level shortly after midnight, combined with an unfavorable wind direction. These factors could pose risks to low-lying areas of the town, especially near the shoreline.

Authorities note there is a possibility that conditions might resemble those experienced in September 2022, when seawater flooded parts of Oddeyri and caused substantial damage. Residents are advised to be alert as the situation develops.

Sources

Image: Markus Trienke / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · licence, original (resized) Illustrative image.