Grimsey is a small island located 40 km (25 mi) north of Iceland, and is the only point in the country to be crossed by the
(latitude 66°33'N).
However, thanks to the atmospheric refraction, the sun can be seen for a while even at the winter solstice, in fact, on December 21st, the sun rises at five minutes past noon and sets at 2:15 pm. Instead, on the longest days, the sun does not set (
) from June 7th to July 6th. Besides, the white nights, in which it is not completely dark even at midnight, occur before and after this period, from April 21st to August 23rd.
is scarce, at least in quantity, while it remains quite frequent all year round.
, there can be relatively mild periods, in which the temperature reaches 6/7 °C (43/45 °F). On the other hand, winds from the north pole or from Greenland can bring freezing periods of three or four days, in which the minimum temperature reaches -10 °C (14 °F) or below. The coldest record is -22.5 °C (-8.5 °F), recorded in March 1969, although the temperature has not dropped below -20 °C (-4 °F) since then. In the 1990s, it dropped to -16.5 °C (2.5 °F) in March 1992. In the 2010s, it only dropped to -11 °C (12 °F).
is very cool, if not cold. The rains are quite frequent, although not abundant. However, there can be mild periods, usually of short duration, in which the temperature reaches or exceeds 15 °C (59 °F). The temperature almost never reaches 20 °C (68 °F), though the highest record is 22.2 °C (72 °F) and was set in July 1955.
, from June to August, since it is the mildest season. However, there are often cloudy skies, rain and a bit of cold. Therefore, it is advisable to bring a jacket and a sweater even in the height of summer, and also hat, gloves and scarf for boat trips in search of whales.
. Here are the average temperatures.
January is generally a cold month. The average temperature is of
0.3 °C, with a minimum of
-1.6 °C and a maximum of
2.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-7.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-15.6 °C in January 1993.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
7.5 °C. However, it reached
10.6 °C in January 1992.
Precipitation amounts to
25 mm, distributed over 18 days.
The day lasts on average 4 hours and 30 minutes. So the days are short.
The average humidity is 82%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
34.9 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
2.8 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
February is generally a very cold month. The average temperature is of
-0.2 °C, with a minimum of
-2.2 °C and a maximum of
1.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-8 °C. However, it dropped to
-14.6 °C in February 1998.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
7.5 °C. However, it reached
11 °C in February 1997.
Precipitation amounts to
40 mm, distributed over 24 days.
The day lasts on average 8 hours and 10 minutes.
The average humidity is 82%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
33.9 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
2.6 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
March, the coldest month of the year, is generally a very cold month. The average temperature is of
-0.3 °C, with a minimum of
-2.2 °C and a maximum of
1.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-9.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-16.4 °C in March 1992.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
8 °C. However, it reached
13 °C in March 1996.
Precipitation amounts to
30 mm, distributed over 17 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 50 minutes.
The average humidity is 83%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
32.7 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
2.4 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
April is generally a cold month. The average temperature is of
1 °C, with a minimum of
-1 °C and a maximum of
2.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-6 °C. However, it dropped to
-9.3 °C in April 2000.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
10 °C. However, it reached
15.7 °C in April 2007.
Precipitation amounts to
25 mm, distributed over 21 days.
The day lasts on average 15 hours and 35 minutes.
The average humidity is 82%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
27.3 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
2.5 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
May is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
4 °C, with a minimum of
1.8 °C and a maximum of
6.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-3 °C. However, it dropped to
-6.1 °C in May 1992.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
13 °C. However, it reached
18.4 °C in May 1992.
Precipitation amounts to
10 mm, distributed over 12 days.
The day lasts on average 19 hours and 50 minutes. So the days are very long.
The average humidity is 83%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
23.2 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
3.6 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
June is generally a quite mild month. The average temperature is of
6.7 °C, with a minimum of
4.5 °C and a maximum of
8.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
1 °C. However, it dropped to
-2.4 °C in June 1997.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
15 °C. However, it reached
18.1 °C in June 1999.
Precipitation amounts to
10 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 23 hours and 50 minutes. So the days are very long. June 21, the summer solstice, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
The average humidity is 85%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
22.3 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
5.7 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
July is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
8.8 °C, with a minimum of
6.7 °C and a maximum of
10.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
4 °C. However, it dropped to
0.7 °C in July 1995.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
16.5 °C. However, it reached
21.7 °C in July 2011.
Precipitation amounts to
30 mm, distributed over 16 days.
The day lasts on average 21 hours and 25 minutes. So the days are very long.
The average humidity is 89%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
21.7 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
7.3 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
August, the least cold month of the year, is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
9 °C, with a minimum of
6.9 °C and a maximum of
11.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
3.5 °C. However, it dropped to
2 °C in August 1993.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
16 °C. However, it reached
19.3 °C in August 2012.
Precipitation amounts to
30 mm, distributed over 15 days.
The day lasts on average 16 hours and 50 minutes. So the days are long.
The average humidity is 88%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
21.9 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
8 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
September is generally a quite mild month. The average temperature is of
7 °C, with a minimum of
5.1 °C and a maximum of
9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
1 °C. However, it dropped to
-3.1 °C in September 1994.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
15 °C. However, it reached
20.8 °C in September 2010.
Precipitation amounts to
35 mm, distributed over 20 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 5 minutes.
The average humidity is 86%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
25.2 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
6.6 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
October is generally a cold month. The average temperature is of
3.8 °C, with a minimum of
2 °C and a maximum of
5.5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-3 °C. However, it dropped to
-6.8 °C in October 1996.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
11 °C. However, it reached
14.3 °C in October 2006.
Precipitation amounts to
30 mm, distributed over 22 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 25 minutes.
The average humidity is 85%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
28.2 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
4.9 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
November is generally a cold month. The average temperature is of
1.8 °C, with a minimum of
0 °C and a maximum of
3.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-5 °C. However, it dropped to
-8.7 °C in November 2006.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
8.5 °C. However, it reached
12.8 °C in November 1999.
Precipitation amounts to
30 mm, distributed over 21 days.
The day lasts on average 5 hours and 35 minutes. So the days are short.
The average humidity is 82%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
32 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
3.8 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
December is generally a cold month. The average temperature is of
0.5 °C, with a minimum of
-1.5 °C and a maximum of
2.5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-8 °C. However, it dropped to
-12.3 °C in December 1995.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
8 °C. However, it reached
15 °C in December 1997.
Precipitation amounts to
25 mm, distributed over 20 days.
The day lasts on average 2 hours and 35 minutes. So the days are very short. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
The average humidity is 82%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
32.6 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
3.4 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.