Iceland Weather
Fresh breeze
SSE · gusts 13 m/s
Monday 19 October · Highlands

Mælifell weather, live

0°
Heavy sleet
Icelandic: Mikil slydda
Feels like -7° · 2.0 mm/h

Heavy rain this afternoon — around 15 mm.

The sky over Mælifell at 17:42, drawn from the forecast.

Updated

Measured 17:40Lónakvísl · 33 km · 3 min ago0°10 m/sgusts 13100 %

The next 48 hours

What to wear

If you're out for an hour or so

Feels like -7°
  • Wool sweater
    Stays warm even when damp
  • Waterproof shell
    Wind goes straight through knitwear
  • Warm hat
  • Gloves
  • Rain trousers
  • No umbrella
    It'll flip at the first gust

Driving today

Warnings, gusts and road ice over the next 12 hours

Drive with care
  • Freezing temperatures — roads may ice up.

Always check umferdin.is and safetravel.is before you set off.

  • Eldhraun39 km · 90 m
    3↑4Air 5°Road 5°
  • Norðan Reynisfjalls44 km · 121 m
    5↑7Air 5°Road 6°
  • Mýrdalssandur45 km · 37 m
    5↑8Air 6°Road 6°
  • Búrfell49 km · 249 m
    2↑4Air 4°
Road conditions on umferdin.is

Before you go

A perfect green moss cone rising from black sands on the rugged Mælifellssandur F-road.

  • Highland roads close in winter

    F-roads open roughly from late June to September, for 4×4s only. River crossings change with the weather and time of day.

  • Weather turns fast

    On mountains fog and gales can arrive within half an hour. Leave a travel plan on safetravel.is.

10 days

Highs, lows, rain and the strongest gust each day

  • Afternoon
    2°
    7 m/s · ↑13 · 2.0 mm
    Evening
    2°
    7 m/s · ↑13 · 11.1 mm
  • Night
    2°
    2 m/s · ↑9 · 2.1 mm
    Morning
    0°
    2 m/s · ↑8 · 1.1 mm
    Afternoon
    0°
    2 m/s · ↑6
    Evening
    -4°
    3 m/s · ↑3
  • Night
    -6°
    3 m/s · ↑4
    Morning
    -4°
    2 m/s · ↑7
    Afternoon
    -1°
    3 m/s · ↑8
    Evening
    -1°
    4 m/s · ↑7 · 2.5 mm
  • Night
    -2°
    4 m/s · ↑8 · 4.3 mm
    Morning
    -2°
    2 m/s · ↑5 · 6.5 mm
    Afternoon
    -2°
    2 m/s · ↑8
    Evening
    -3°
    1 m/s · ↑8 · 0.1 mm
  • Night
    -2°
    2 m/s · ↑7 · 0.1 mm
    Morning
    -4°
    1 m/s · ↑5
    Afternoon
    -4°
    3 m/s · ↑5
    Evening
    -7°
    4 m/s · ↑7
  • Night
    -10°
    4 m/s · ↑7
    Morning
    -11°
    3 m/s · ↑6
    Afternoon
    -7°
    1 m/s · ↑6 · 0.1 mm
    Evening
    -5°
    2 m/s · ↑7 · 0.3 mm
  • Night
    -5°
    2 m/s · ↑10 · 0.1 mm
    Morning
    -5°
    1 m/s · ↑10 · 0.3 mm
    Afternoon
    -3°
    2 m/s · ↑4
    Evening
    -7°
    2 m/s · ↑5
  • Night
    -8°
    3 m/s · ↑5 · 0.1 mm
    Morning
    -5°
    2 m/s · ↑5 · 0.1 mm
    Afternoon
    -2°
    2 m/s · ↑7 · 0.1 mm
    Evening
    -1°
    2 m/s · ↑8 · 1.2 mm
  • Night
    0°
    4 m/s · ↑10 · 1.3 mm
    Morning
    0°
    3 m/s · ↑10 · 1.9 mm
    Afternoon
    0°
    3 m/s · ↑9 · 2.0 mm
    Evening
    1°
    3 m/s · ↑9
  • Night
    -4°
    2 m/s · ↑5
    Morning
    -3°
    1 m/s · ↑5 · 0.4 mm
    Afternoon
    -1°
    1 m/s · ↑3 · 0.6 mm
    Evening
    0°
    0 m/s · ↑3 · 0.2 mm

Wind

Mean wind and gusts, m/s

Strongest gust, next 48 h
13m/s
Strong breeze
today at 18:00
8 Fresh breeze14 Near gale17 GaleNow05:0017:0005:0017:00

Mean wind Gusts

The second number is the one that matters: gusts flip trailers and rip car doors off their hinges.

The weeks ahead

Mælifell: two weeks day by day, then the weeks after and the season ahead — each compared with the usual weather.

The whole country, two weeks ahead →
  1. The next three days · 19–21 Oct

    -8° – 2°

    Fairly sure

    Rain or snow at times · snow possible · Breezy

  2. The rest of the week · 22–25 Oct

    -9° – -3°

    Could still change

    Rain or snow most days · snow possible · Gales possible

  3. The week after · 26 Oct – 2 Nov

    -8° – -1°

    Very uncertain

    Rain or snow most days · snow possible · Breezy

Day by day

ECMWF runs its forecast 51 times with slightly different starting points. Where the runs agree, the forecast is sure; the further ahead, the more they drift apart.

Chance of rain or snow
Strongest gusts, m/s
  • Likely high and low
  • 8 in 10 runs fall inside
  • Tap a day for the details.

Further ahead

Beyond two weeks no forecast can say which day it rains — but ECMWF's extended forecast can tell whether a week leans warmer or wetter than usual, and how sure it is. Paler bars mean a weaker lean.

  1. 2–8 Nov
    +0.6° A little warmer than usual
    57% likely
    About the usual rain and snow
  2. 9–15 Nov
    +0.5° A little warmer than usual
    56% likely
    About the usual rain and snow
  3. 16–22 Nov
    +0.4° About usual
    About the usual rain and snow
  4. 23–29 Nov
    −0.2° About usual
    About the usual rain and snow

The season ahead

ECMWF's seasonal forecast, month by month. Read it as a lean, not a forecast — for packing, the usual weather is still your best guide.

  1. November

    Usually 6° / 1° in Vík
    +0.6° A little warmer than usual
    About the usual rain and snow
    November in detail
  2. December

    Usually 5° / 0° in Vík
    +0.3° About usual
    About the usual rain and snow
    December in detail
  3. January

    Usually 4° / 0° in Vík
    +0.4° About usual
    About the usual rain and snow
    January in detail

Ensemble, extended-range (EC46) and seasonal (SEAS5) forecasts: ECMWF via Open-Meteo.com, CC BY 4.0.

Daylight

9 h 26 min of daylight

↓ 6 min 23 s shorter than yesterday

0006121800MidsummerMidwinter08:1617:43
Sunrise
08:16
Sunset
17:43
Golden hour
16:31–17:43
Fully dark
19:26–06:35

Northern lights tonight

Clouded out

Dark 19:26–06:35

Cloud cover through the night
1906
Activity (Kp)
Tonight
5.0
Tue
3.7
Wed
3.3

Get away from street lights and give your eyes fifteen minutes.

From the forecaster

Written by the duty meteorologists at the Icelandic Met Office

South and southwest 5-13 m/s and wiedly rain og showers of rain, but mainly dry in the northeast.

South 8-13 m/s at the east coast tomorrow, but much lighter winds elsewhere. Rain or sleet in the east parts, later snow in mountains, but scattered showers of rain or sleet elsewhere. Temperatures 3 to 10 deg C, mildest in the Eastfjords.

Written today at 15:12 · vedur.is

Regional forecasts are only written in Icelandic, so this is the national one.

In short

  1. Tonight

    Southeasterly 2–7 m/s, heavy rain. 0 to 2 °C.

  2. Tomorrow

    Light winds, a little snow. -2 to 0 °C.

  3. Wednesday

    Light winds, fog patches. -6 to -1 °C.

Typical weather by month

Nearest long-term record: Vík, 47 km away

  1. Jan4°0°19 d
  2. Feb4°0°18 d
  3. Mar5°0°18 d
  4. Apr7°2°15 d
  5. May10°4°13 d
  6. Jun12°7°11 d
  7. Jul14°9°12 d
  8. Aug14°9°14 d
  9. Sep11°7°18 d
  10. Oct8°3°17 d
  11. Nov6°1°17 d
  12. Dec5°0°18 d

high / low · wet days · Icelandic Met Office, Vatnsskarðshólar 1991–2020

Questions visitors ask

What is the weather in Mælifell right now?

0 °C and heavy sleet, wind 10 m/s from the southeast, gusting 13 m/s. Measured at Lónakvísl at 17:40 on 19 October 2026.

What will the weather be like in Mælifell over the next two weeks?

The next three days (19–21 Oct): -8 to 2 °C, rain or snow at times, snow possible, breezy. The rest of the week (22–25 Oct): -9 to -3 °C, rain or snow most days, snow possible, gales possible. The week after (26 Oct – 2 Nov): -8 to -1 °C, rain or snow most days, snow possible, breezy. Based on ECMWF's 51-run ensemble forecast as of 19 October 2026; the further ahead, the less certain.

What should I wear in Mælifell today?

Dress for the wind, not the thermometer: wool sweater, waterproof shell, warm hat, gloves, rain trousers and no umbrella.

Is it safe to drive to Mælifell today?

Drive with care. Freezing temperatures — roads may ice up. Always check road conditions on umferdin.is before you set off.

Can I see the northern lights in Mælifell tonight?

Clouded out. Dark 19:26–06:35.

When is sunrise and sunset in Mælifell today?

Sunrise is at 08:16 and sunset at 17:43 — 9 h 26 min of daylight. Iceland is on UTC all year.

Iceland right now

Live readings from … Icelandic Met Office stations, updated hourly

Gathering stations…
The moving streaks follow the wind as it's measured right now.

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Towns ranked by sunshine, warmth, calm and staying dry

Mountain passes

Live from the Road Administration's roadside weather stations

Plan a drive →