A vivid red aurora was photographed over Selfoss around 2 a.m., a rare display caused by oxygen emissions high in the atmosphere. Photos also showed green fringes, with purple and pink hues possible when nitrogen is involved.

Record late-October snowfall in Reykjavík snapped many trees in Fossvogskirkjugarður cemetery, with birch hit hardest. Cleanup is underway and may take weeks; damage also occurred in Gufunes and Hólavallagarður cemeteries.

Most domestic flights in Iceland were canceled due to weather, affecting about 700 passengers. Icelandair cited strong winds aloft causing turbulence and icing; only early flights to Akureyri and Bíldudalur operated, with conditions expected to improve by tonight or tomorrow.

Iceland experienced intense cold overnight, with -19.8°C recorded at Sandskeið around 6 a.m., and meteorologist Einar Sveinbjörnsson says it is likely the coldest 30 October on record. Reykjavík dropped to just over -8°C, and an Icelandic Met Office table showed -20.2°C at Setur south of Hofsjökull overnight.

Reykjavík recorded 27 cm of snow at 9:00 on October 28, likely the deepest October snow on record, surpassing the previous 15 cm set in 1921. Heavy snowfall and poor visibility were forecast on the Suðurnes/Reykjanesbraut corridor with 50–75 mm precipitation expected.

A mosquito species, Culiseta annulata, has been confirmed in Iceland after specimens of both sexes were captured in Kjósarhreppur on October 16–18, 2025. The find suggests mosquitoes may now be present in the country, long considered free of them.

A magnitude 3.3 earthquake struck near Grjótárvatn on Mýrar this morning, the largest in the Ljósufjöll volcanic system in about three and a half months. Roughly 45 quakes have occurred since last night at 15–20 km depth, and the Icelandic Met Office notes concern would rise if activity shallows.

Vestari Hagafellsjökull, on the south side of Langjökull, has retreated about 200 meters since 2023, according to a preliminary glacier-terminus survey conducted on 20 September 2025. Since 2009 the glacier has receded roughly 973 meters through 2023, with accelerated retreat likely tied to this summer’s warmth.

A sudden glacial outburst flood from a marginal lake near Langjökull sent water into the Svartá and downstream into the Hvítá in Borgarfjörður, peaking above 400 cm overnight before easing to just over 300 cm. Authorities warn further river flooding is possible in coming days, with increased landslide risk in southeast Iceland.

Over 400 lightning strikes were recorded in a powerful thunderstorm across southwest Iceland, with roughly half on land and heavy rainfall of 10–15 mm per hour.

Reykjavík fire department responded to 18 water damage calls over two hours during heavy rain, including flooding in the basement of the Kjarvalsstaðir art museum.

The snow patch at Gunnlaugsskarð in Esja melted out by early August 2025, marking one of the earliest disappearances on record, previously only in July of 1941 and 2010.

A rare basking shark was spotted during an Elding whale watching tour in Faxaflói Bay, marking its first appearance in the bay in five years according to the company.

A whale carcass washed ashore just outside the settlement of Vogar on the Vatnsleysuströnd coast this afternoon. A marine biologist suggests that altered fish migration patterns, a consequence of climate change, are likely responsible for the higher number of strandings observed.

Many residents sought medical attention for respiratory discomfort and eye irritation caused by volcanic smog and air pollution lingering over Reykjavík and nearby areas.

New fissures on the Reykjanes Peninsula have sent lava eastward and prompted fresh hazard warnings, with high sulfur dioxide levels and drifting volcanic fibers adding to safety concerns.

Levels of fine particulate matter have risen in Reykjavík, likely due to smoke from Canadian wildfires, prompting health advisories for those with respiratory issues.

Rescue teams in Reykjavík will make a second, high-tide effort this evening to nudge an orca stranded since Tuesday night in the shallow cove of the Grafarvogur neighbourhood back into open waters.

Reykjavík’s temperature yesterday came within half a degree of the city’s May record amid warm, dry, and bright conditions, with similar weather expected until rain arrives Thursday.

This event follows a series of deep earthquakes, the last comparable one occurring on April 23, and while no eruption has taken place in nearly a millennium, experts warn these movements could signal deeper volcanic processes.