Climate - Vestmann (Iceland)

The climate of the Vestmann Islands is subpolar oceanic, with cold winters and very cool summers.
The Vestmann Islands (Vestmannaeyjar in Icelandic) are located off the southwest coast of Iceland.
Compared to the rest of Iceland, they have a mild microclimate, but also particularly windy and rainy. The temperature differences between night and day are often small.
The latitude of the Vestmann Islands is 63°26'N. On the shortest day of the year, December 21st, the sun rises around 11:05 am and sets around 3:35 pm. On the longest day, June 21, the sun rises at 3:05 am and sets at 11:40 pm. The white nights, in which it is not completely dark even at midnight, occur from April 30 to August 13.
The average temperature of the coldest month (February) is of 1.7 °C (35 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 10.5 °C (51 °F). Here are the average temperatures of the main island, Heimaey.

Precipitation amounts to 1,550 millimeters (61 inches) per year: it is therefore abundant. It ranges from 85 mm (3.3 in) in the driest month (June) to 155 mm (6.1 in) in the wettest (December). Here is the average precipitation.

As is typical of Iceland, the weather is often unstable and windy. Snowfalls typically occur from October to April, although they rarely prevail over rain for long periods.
The winter, from December to March, is cold, cloudy and windy, with very short days in the first part, which then gradually become longer (in mid-February, the sun already rises at 9:15 am and sets at 5:55 pm, while in mid-March, it rises at 7:35 am and sets at 7:25 pm). However, the winter here is slightly milder even as compared to the south coast of Iceland.
During some periods, the temperature fluctuates around freezing, and rainfall alternate with snowfall.
There are also quite mild periods, in which the temperature reaches 7/8 °C (45/46 °F), but it often rains and a strong wind blows.
There are also very cold periods, characterized by snow and frost, which generally last no more than a week.
On the coldest nights of the year, the temperature typically drops to -8/-9 °C (16/18 °F), however, it can sometimes drop to lower values.
The cold record, -17 °C (1.5 °F), was recorded even in early April 1968 (it must be said that March is still a fully winter month, and given the maritime climate, in spring temperatures rise late). In the 1990s, the temperature dropped to -13.5 °C (7.5 °F) in March 1992 and March 1998, while from 2000 onwards, it dropped to -11.5 °C (11.5 °F) in February 2001, February 2008 and January 2011.

The summer is cool, with fairly frequent rains. Sometimes fog can form. There are slightly cold periods, with highs below 10 °C (50 °F), especially in June, but also milder periods.
On the warmest days of the year, the temperature typically reaches 17/18 °C (63/64 °F).
Very rarely, it can reach or exceed 20 °C (68 °F). The highest record is 21.5 °C (70.5 °F), recorded in July 2008.



The sea temperature ranges between 7 °C (45 °F) and 12 °C (54 °F). So, it is cold all year round, although it is not as cold as in the rest of Iceland. Here are the average sea temperatures.

Best Time

The best time to visit the Vestmann Islands is the summer, 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.