Icelandic Meteorological Office issues landslide risk warning due to heavy rainfall in western regions

The Icelandic Meteorological Office has issued a warning for increased landslide risk in the western parts of the country. This comes in light of heavy rainfall over the past few days, which is expected to continue over the weekend.

The most intense rainfall is expected in Snæfellsnes and the southern parts of the Westfjords. Weather predictions indicate that up to 250 millimeters of accumulated rainfall could be expected in the mountains, and up to 150 millimeters in low-lying areas. “This is quite a lot for this time of year,” the weather office stated in a release.

Given these conditions, experts from the Meteorological Office see a reason to warn against water level rises and an increased risk of landslides in the Westfjords and Snæfellsnes. There are also meltwater increases to the north and east, hence landslide risk cannot be ruled out on mountain slopes where snow is melting.

In related news, a landslide occurred in Syðridal near Bolungarvík around eleven yesterday morning. Nearby residents heard loud rumbles as a substantial debris slide made its way down the Víðfoss track, from the Mærðarhorn mountain, all the way down to Syðridalsvatn. A video of the slide was captured by Jóhannes Jóhannsson.