Rapidly-intensifying hurricane force midlatitude cyclone passes over Iceland
EUMETSAT Meteosat-11 Water Vapor images (above) showed a warming/drying signature (shades of yellow to orange) within the core of a rapidly-intensifying hurricane force midlatitude cyclone that eventually passed over Iceland on 14 October 2026 (1200 UTC surface analysis). A record-low October barometric pressure of 937.5 hPa was recorded at Vatnsskarðshólar (after altitude adjustment), breaking the previous Icelandic October low pressure value of 938 hPa set in 1963.
Meteosat-11 Water Vapor images that included hourly plots of wind barbs and gusts are shown below.
A toggle between a pair of NOAA-21 VIIRS True Color RGB images (below) provided higher-resolution views of the hurricane force low pressure system. Note the milky/hazy appearance of cloud-free areas east and south of storm center (animated gif version) — a result of enhanced diffuse reflection of sunlight off a very agitated sea surface where high waves and abundant sea spray were present (caused by stronger surface winds across those particular areas).
A signature of this storm was evident on the northeast limb of the GOES-19 (GOES-East) Full Disk view — Air Mass RGB images (below) included plots of METAR surface reports.
One notable wind gust on Iceland was 71 knots (82 mph) at Vestmannaeyjar Airport BIVM (below).
