Iceland Weather
Near gale
S · gusts 19 m/s
Monday 19 October · Faxaflói

Mt Esja weather, live

0°
Heavy sleet
Icelandic: Mikil slydda
Feels like -9° · 1.0 mm/h

Freezing overnight — watch for ice.

The sky over Mt Esja at 17:47, drawn from the forecast.

Updated

Measured 17:40Skálafell · 12 km · 7 min ago0°17 m/sgusts 1999 %

The next 48 hours

What to wear

If you're out for an hour or so

Feels like -9°
  • Down parka
  • Wool base layer
    The layer that matters most
  • Warm hat
  • Mittens
  • Buff or scarf
  • Waterproof shell
    Wind goes straight through knitwear

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.

  • Kjalarnes4 km · 38 m
    4↑6Air 5°Road 5°
  • Blikdalsá8 km
    7↑9Air 5°
  • Geldinganes8 km · 35 m
    5↑7Air 5°
  • Tíðaskarð8 km · 65 m
    6↑14Air 6°Road 5°
Road conditions on umferdin.is

Before you go

The flat-topped mountain across the bay; the city's go-to half-day hike from Mógilsá.

  • 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°
    5 m/s · ↑12 · 1.0 mm
    Evening
    3°
    6 m/s · ↑11 · 3.1 mm
  • Night
    1°
    4 m/s · ↑10
    Morning
    1°
    4 m/s · ↑9
    Afternoon
    2°
    5 m/s · ↑12 · 0.6 mm
    Evening
    -1°
    4 m/s · ↑8
  • Night
    -2°
    5 m/s · ↑10
    Morning
    -1°
    7 m/s · ↑14
    Afternoon
    0°
    7 m/s · ↑12
    Evening
    -1°
    8 m/s · ↑14 · 3.9 mm
  • Night
    -1°
    7 m/s · ↑13 · 1.1 mm
    Morning
    -2°
    5 m/s · ↑10 · 0.9 mm
    Afternoon
    -1°
    4 m/s · ↑12 · 0.1 mm
    Evening
    -2°
    4 m/s · ↑10 · 0.2 mm
  • Night
    -3°
    3 m/s · ↑8
    Morning
    -7°
    3 m/s · ↑7
    Afternoon
    -3°
    2 m/s · ↑9
    Evening
    -5°
    2 m/s · ↑9
  • Night
    -6°
    2 m/s · ↑5
    Morning
    -5°
    2 m/s · ↑5
    Afternoon
    -4°
    1 m/s · ↑5
    Evening
    -6°
    1 m/s · ↑5
  • Night
    -8°
    1 m/s · ↑6
    Morning
    -7°
    1 m/s · ↑6
    Afternoon
    -5°
    2 m/s · ↑7
    Evening
    -5°
    3 m/s · ↑6
  • Night
    -8°
    3 m/s · ↑8
    Morning
    -5°
    3 m/s · ↑8
    Afternoon
    -1°
    4 m/s · ↑8
    Evening
    0°
    5 m/s · ↑9
  • Night
    1°
    5 m/s · ↑9 · 0.1 mm
    Morning
    0°
    3 m/s · ↑9
    Afternoon
    0°
    4 m/s · ↑9 · 0.7 mm
    Evening
    -1°
    2 m/s · ↑9
  • Night
    -4°
    2 m/s · ↑6
    Morning
    -5°
    3 m/s · ↑7
    Afternoon
    -3°
    3 m/s · ↑7
    Evening
    -3°
    2 m/s · ↑7

Wind

Mean wind and gusts, m/s

Strongest gust, next 48 h
14m/s
Near gale
Wednesday at 11:00
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

Mt Esja: 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

    Much colder than usual

    -2° – 4° · −4.1°Fairly sure

    Rain or snow at times · Stormy at times

  2. The rest of the week · 22–25 Oct

    Much colder than usual

    -5° – 0° · −6.5°Could still change

    Mostly dry · snow possible · Breezy

  3. The week after · 26 Oct – 2 Nov

    Much colder than usual

    -4° – 1° · −4.9°Very uncertain

    Rain or snow most days · 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
  • Usual for the time of year
  • 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
    usually 6° / 1°
    +0.6° A little warmer than usual
    59% likely
    About the usual rain and snow
  2. 9–15 Nov
    usually 5° / 0°
    +0.4° About usual
    About the usual rain and snow
  3. 16–22 Nov
    usually 5° / 0°
    +0.3° About usual
    About the usual rain and snow
  4. 23–29 Nov
    usually 4° / -1°
    −0.5° A little colder than usual
    48% likely
    −28% Drier than usual
    71% likely

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 5° / 0° in Reykjavík
    +0.7° A little warmer than usual
    About the usual rain and snow
    November in detail

  2. December

    Usually 3° / -2° in Reykjavík
    +0.3° About usual
    About the usual rain and snow
    December in detail

  3. January

    Usually 3° / -2° in Reykjavík
    +0.5° A little warmer than 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. Icelandic Met Office, Reykjavík 1991–2020.

Daylight

9 h 23 min of daylight

↓ 6 min 31 s shorter than yesterday

0006121800MidsummerMidwinter08:2917:52
Sunrise
08:29
Sunset
17:52
Golden hour
16:39–17:52
Fully dark
19:37–06:46

Northern lights tonight

Clouded out
Best bet around 21:00

Dark 19:37–06:46

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

    Southerly 3–7 m/s, rain. 0 to 3 °C.

  2. Tomorrow

    Southeasterly 2–6 m/s, sleet showers. -1 to 2 °C.

  3. Wednesday

    Easterly 5–9 m/s, snow. -2 to 0 °C.

Typical weather by month

1991–2020 averages for Reykjavík

  1. Jan3°-2°15 d
  2. Feb3°-2°15 d
  3. Mar4°-1°14 d
  4. Apr7°1°12 d
  5. May10°4°11 d
  6. Jun13°7°9 d
  7. Jul15°9°10 d
  8. Aug14°9°12 d
  9. Sep11°6°15 d
  10. Oct8°3°13 d
  11. Nov5°0°14 d
  12. Dec3°-2°15 d

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

Questions visitors ask

What is the weather in Mt Esja right now?

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

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

The next three days (19–21 Oct): much colder than usual, -2 to 4 °C, rain or snow at times, stormy at times. The rest of the week (22–25 Oct): much colder than usual, -5 to 0 °C, mostly dry, snow possible, breezy. The week after (26 Oct – 2 Nov): much colder than usual, -4 to 1 °C, rain or snow most days, 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 Mt Esja today?

Dress for the wind, not the thermometer: down parka, wool base layer, warm hat, mittens, buff or scarf and waterproof shell.

Is it safe to drive to Mt Esja 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 Mt Esja tonight?

Clouded out — Best bet around 21:00. Dark 19:37–06:46.

When is sunrise and sunset in Mt Esja today?

Sunrise is at 08:29 and sunset at 17:52 — 9 h 23 min of daylight. Iceland is on UTC all year.

Nearby

More forecasts close by

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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Mountain passes

Live from the Road Administration's roadside weather stations

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