Deep low could cause damage, meteorologist warns

A deep low-pressure system is forecast to approach Iceland on Wednesday, bringing severe northerly weather and considerable precipitation, mbl.is reports, citing the Icelandic Meteorological Office. Snow is expected in the north during the afternoon and evening.

Einar Sveinbjörnsson, a meteorologist at Blika, said in a Facebook post that the system should be monitored. The latest forecasts show it deepening more than expected a day earlier, with pressure reaching 936 hectopascals off Hornafjord on Wednesday afternoon. Sveinbjörnsson wrote that weather associated with such a low had reportedly been severe and caused coastal flooding.

Such deep lows are rare near Iceland. The only known time atmospheric pressure has fallen below 940 hectopascals in a measurement was in 1963, when it reached 938 hectopascals at Stórhöfði in Vestmannaeyjar.

Sveinbjörnsson said the forecast should be followed closely over the next two to three days. Very deep lows often cause disruption and can lead to serious problems and property damage, he wrote, adding: “But it is still a long way from Atlanta to Akureyri!”