A severe storm struck Siglufjörður in North Iceland today, with several buildings suffering severe roof damage as winds reached extreme speeds. According to national broadcaster RÚV, at least one entire detached house lost its roof this morning. Reports from local news outlets mbl.is and Vísir stated that three roofs were blown off in total, and firefighting and rescue teams worked to secure the affected buildings.
According to RÚV and Heimildin, wind gusts in Siglufjörður reached up to 55 metres per second during the strongest part of the storm. Debris was seen flying through the town, and rescue workers were focused on preventing additional damage. Teams from across the Tröllaskagi peninsula travelled to Siglufjörður to assist local responders.
The storm’s strongest gusts struck around midday, according to Vísir. After the worst winds passed, the weather eased slightly, giving responders time to prepare as another storm wave from the north is expected later this evening, mbl.is reported.
There are conflicting reports about the scale of roof damage, with RÚV reporting one roof lost and other outlets reporting three. The exact number has not been confirmed.
Sources
- RÚV (first reported) in Icelandic
- Heimildin in Icelandic
- mbl.is in Icelandic
- Vísir in Icelandic
Image: Hansueli Krapf / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · licence, original (resized) Illustrative image.
