Eclipse crowds flood Hellissandi as hot dogs fly out

Nearly 10,000 people were gathered in western Snæfellsnes to watch a total solar eclipse that was about to begin, mbl.is reported on Wednesday.

Aría Jóhannesdóttir, manager of the N1 fuel station in the town of Hellissandi, said she had never seen traffic like it.

“The traffic is absolutely crazy. I have simply never seen anything like this,” she told mbl.is. “There are queues of cars all through the town, and people are streaming in, both foreign tourists from the festival and many Icelandic travellers who have come west.”

According to the latest figures, around 8,000 people were in the area. Many were attending the Iceland Eclipse festival in Hellissandi or planning to travel to Öndverðarnes.

Hot dogs and soft drinks were also in high demand. “We have sold a huge number of hot dogs. I do not even know how many. One of us is constantly at the grill, two are serving customers, and we are shouting back and forth to make five hot dogs, ten hot dogs, and everything in between,” Jóhannesdóttir said.

Rain was falling in Hellissandi as the eclipse approached.