A severe storm struck southern Iceland on Monday morning, bringing strong winds and precipitation to Vestmannaeyjar, an archipelago off the southern coast, as well as nearby coastal and rural regions. The event was first reported by local news outlet Eyjafréttir.
According to Eyjafréttir, winds in the area increased rapidly overnight, with gusts at Stórhöfði reaching up to 51 metres per second. Photographer Óskar Pétur Friðriksson documented the storm’s impact in Vestmannaeyjar as sheets of rain and powerful gusts swept the islands.
Volunteer rescue teams in the Ölfus area, including squads from Hveragerði, Þorlákshöfn and Árborg, were called out repeatedly to respond to wind-related incidents. According to RÚV and Sunnlenska, these included roofs coming loose, with responders having to secure buildings and, in one case, fell an old barn at Litla-Saurbæ due to risk of it blowing away.
In a separate episode near Hveragerði, rescue teams were summoned to Stóra-Saurbæ after reports that the roof of an old barn was starting to come off. Jón Þór Víglundsson, representing ICE-SAR, told mbl.is they initially planned to use a truck with a claw to hold the roof in place. Further incidents included a caller to the Emergency Line lying on a loose roof sheet to prevent it from causing damage, detached roof sheets at a horse stable in Eyrarbakki and loose materials on a newly built residential house, which were secured before further harm could occur.
A yellow weather warning was in effect across the entire country, according to the Icelandic Met Office, as crews worked to address the consequences of the strong winds and protect property from damage.
Sources
- Eyjafréttir (first reported) in Icelandic
- mbl.is in Icelandic
- mbl.is in Icelandic
- Sunnlenska in Icelandic
- Vísir in Icelandic
- RÚV in Icelandic
