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When to go
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Though milder than you might think, Icelandic
weather
is notoriously unpredictable. In
summer
there's a fair chance of bright and sunny days and temperatures can reach 17°C but these are interspersed with wet and misty spells when the temperature can plummet to a chilly 10°C. Generally speaking if it's wet and windy in the southwest it'll be sunny and warm in the northeast, which receives more than its fair share of sunshine in the summer months, much to the dismay of city slickers at the other end of the country. Most budget accommodation is only open from late May to early September, and it's at these times, too, that buses run their fullest schedules. Many bus routes through the Interior don't start until late June or early July when the snow finally melts. Although Iceland lies south of the Arctic Circle and therefore doesn't experience a true
Midnight Sun
, nights are light from mid-May to early August across the country. In the north the sun never fully sets during June. Between September and January the
Aurora Borealis
or
Northern Lights
can often be seen. They appear as an eerie, oscillating curtain of green, blue or pale orange light in the night sky.
Winter
temperatures fluctuate at 7-8°C either side of freezing point and heavy snowfall and avalanches block many of the roads. There's little chance of accommodation other than in the large hotels in Reykjavik and the other main towns, and hiking and camping are out of the question. However, a stay in the capital at this time means a lack of crowds and at Christmas its streets are bathed in the glow of candles burning behind every window. Bear in mind though that daylight in midwinter is limited to a few hours - in Reykjavik, sunrise isn't until almost 11am in December; the sun is already sinking slowly back towards the horizon after 1pm; and by 3.30pm, it'll be dark again. Further north in Isafjor?ur, reckon on around one and a half hours' less daylight than in Reykjavik. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Iceland |