Winds hit 37.2 m/s at Stórhöfði as storm nears

Wind speeds reached 37.2 metres per second at Stórhöfði in the Westman Islands at 6am, mbl.is reported. At Vatnsgarðshólar, winds measured 25.2 metres per second.

A very deep, intense low-pressure system is approaching Iceland from the south, bringing strong easterly winds and substantial precipitation to the south of the country.

Forecasters expect the low to deepen to 930 millibars around noon, when its centre will be just south of the Westman Islands. The lowest pressure recorded in Iceland in October was 938.4 millibars in 1963. If the forecast holds, the system could break that record.

The low’s centre is expected to move inland during the afternoon, bringing lighter winds and less precipitation in the south and east. A severe northerly blizzard is forecast for the northwest, where orange weather warnings have been issued. Lightning is also possible along the weather front.