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.

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 Cattle Egret was spotted west of Ólafsvíkurenni on Iceland’s Snæfellsnes peninsula, a very rare occurrence. A bird expert links increasing appearances of southern species in Iceland to climate change.

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.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N5) was confirmed in multiple dead gulls found at Blönduós and in a female duck found dead at Sauðárkrókur in North Iceland. Authorities urge biosecurity for poultry, public reporting of dead or sick wildlife, and caution by hunters.

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.

Icelandic authorities report that 7 of 22 salmon submitted for testing were confirmed as farmed escapees, caught in several North/West Iceland rivers. Tracing suggests six fish share a common origin in Dýrafjörður; investigations continue and anglers are asked to turn in suspect fish whole for analysis.

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.

A magnitude 3.3 earthquake struck northeast of Langjökull near Djöflasandur this morning, marking the strongest quake in the area since November 2007.

Severe winds on the Holtavörðuheiði pass in Húnaþing Vestra, Iceland, blew apart three caravans, prompting a multi-hour rescue response by the Húnar Hvammstanga search and rescue team.

An inspector from the Icelandic Fisheries Agency counted around 100 farmed salmon in the lower section of Haukadalsá, marking the largest occurrence of escaped farmed salmon in an Icelandic river, and plans are underway for removal operations including using anglers and Norwegian divers.

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.

Two individuals were swept into the sea near Akranes harbor when a large swell unexpectedly engulfed the area, dragging along cars and a pedestrian. They were rescued by emergency services, with one later transferred to a hospital in Reykjavík.

A temporary bridge in Borgarfjörður, Iceland, collapsed after an ice jam in the Hvítá River caused significant flooding.

We've become very used to seismic activity in Iceland's southwest corner, but last night, four earthquakes above magnitude three hit a very different area - the Kolbeinsey ridge, far off the country's northern coast.

Samples taken from a white-tailed eagle found dead on a skerry near Barðaströnd in the Westfjords in mid-September tested positive for a severe bird flu virus of the strain HPAI H4N5. An eider duck that was found dead in Ólafsfjörður, West Iceland recently was infected with the same strain of bird flu virus. The strain has not been detected in Iceland before and is not common.

In West and Southwest Iceland, rainfall has been less than 10% of the average for July and early August. Rivers and streams have been shrinking and even drying up entirely following several weeks with little to no rainfall in Iceland.

Such deaths are unusual at this time of year in Iceland and their cause is unknown. The widespread deaths of Kittiwakes cannot be attributed to bird flu, according to Brigitte Brugger of the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST). Samples from the birds analysed by MAST ruled out the illness. While bird flu is unlikely to be the cause, extreme weather may be a possible explanation.

Two Risso’s dolphins washed ashore in Hrútafjörður in Northwest Iceland last week. Risso dolphins are a warm-water species found a bit to the east of Ireland and Northwest Scotland. But the largest number is found further south, in warmer seas.

Researchers have confirmed that the fish species sprat is spawning in Icelandic waters, according to a new report from Iceland’s Marine and Freshwater Research Institute. Sprat has been found in significant numbers off the south and west coast and spawned near Ísafjarðardjúp fjord in the Westfjords last year.