© Kristinn Ingvarsson mbl.is
Iceland saw its worst storm in 25 years Monday as a severe polar low hit the island, bringing with it rain, snow and massive wind gusts.
The East Iceland weather station of Hallormsstaðaháls picked up a wind-speed reading of more than 160 mph, reports the
Iceland Monitor. At Bolungarvík on the Westfjords peninsula, a personal weather station recorded a wind gust of 96 mph, with sustained maximum wind speeds of more than 60 mph.
Icelandic authorities raised the country's severe-weather preparedness level to "hazard" Monday in preparation for the storm, the
Iceland Monitor reports, and 700 rescue workers fielded around 350 calls Monday, and are still working in the northern part of the country.
There were no reports of severe injuries to people as a result of the storm, said the
Iceland Review, and the Iceland Department of Civil Protection in Iceland thanked the public for heeding warnings, which, it says, no doubt saved people from injuries. But here were numerous reports of property damage.
The worst weather affected populated areas by Eyjafjöll, South Iceland, and Vestmannaeyjar (the Westman Islands), where several roofs came loose and one of them landed in the neighbor's yard,
Vísir reports.
Two boats sank in Reykjavík Harbor, the
Iceland Review reports, and a bus shelter in town was torn to pieces by the wind. In Kópavogur, near Reykjavík, a windowpane blew out of an apartment building in one piece, and many old window panes in Reykjavík shattered. Domestic flights in Iceland were still grounded as of Tuesday morning, the
Iceland Monitor reported. The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration was still reporting numerous roads closed throughout the country due to hazardous conditions.
Comment: Elsewhere in Australia, Sydney experienced one of the most active lightning storms in a decade, whilst dramatic storms lashed Victoria bringing heavy rain and massive hailstones.