Unusual low-pressure system set to deepen and move north

An unusual low-pressure system is expected to deepen sharply and continue moving north, bringing heavy rain and unusually warm air, mbl.is reports.

Meteorologist Trausti Jónsson wrote in a blog post that forecasts had been uncertain about the system’s nature and path, but had largely converged in recent days. A broad band of high clouds is approaching Iceland alongside a low south of the country, which is bringing the wind and precipitation affecting Iceland today.

Farther south at sea, another low is forecast to head directly north over the next two to three days and deepen considerably. Its northward track is unusual, Jónsson said: lows typically deepen substantially but then stall near the point where they reach full strength.

Early Wednesday morning, the system is expected to have a central pressure of about 948 hectopascals, exceptionally low so soon after the equinox and uncommon in October. A burst of rain is forecast in Iceland, with a considerable risk of flooding in the southeast.

The low is then expected to continue north, passing west of Iceland as it begins to weaken. It will also bring particularly warm air. Rain and limited sunshine mean temperatures are unlikely to reach the levels that forecast indicators might suggest. If the system arrived one or two days later, Reykjavík could potentially see a new October temperature record.