Photo Credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons License English: Freshly rotated icebergs at Jökulsárlón (Iceland). The different marks on the iceberg show its different positions over time. The blue areas (previously submerged) are evidence of the iceberg's recent rotation. Date: 23 July 2023, 15:50:36 Own work, from gileslaurent.com

06 Jan 2026

Iceland had the warmest Christmas Eve in 2025 the country has ever recorded - almost 20 C / 67 F

Iceland recorded its hottest Christmas Eve on record in 2025, with temperatures in the eastern fjord town of Seyðisfjörður reaching 19.8°C (67,6 F), according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office.

The reading, taken late morning on 24 December, surpassed the country’s previous December high of 19.7°C, set in 2019. Average temperatures in Iceland at this time of year typically range from –1°C to 4°C,(34 - 39 F) making the spike nearly 16 degrees centigrade above seasonal norms.

According to the Independent, meteorologists said the reading was logged at 11 a.m. on 24 December, edging past the previous December high of 19.7°C set in 2019. Typical December temperatures in Iceland hover between –1°C and 4°C.

Meteorologists said the unusual warmth was driven by an influx of moist tropical air, amplified by strong winds and local terrain effects in the narrow fjord region. A second weather station in Seyðisfjörður registered 19.4°C, while nearby communities including Bakkagerði and Öræfi also reported temperatures close to 19.7°C.

As quoted in IceNews.is, Icelandic Meteorological Office meteorologist Birgir Örn Höskuldsson, said in an interview with the news agency RÚV that the temperature record was set because warm air of tropical origin was over the country, preventing colder air from moving in - also noting that the country is getting warmer due to global warming.

Experts warned that such extreme winter anomalies are becoming increasingly common as the Arctic warms at more than twice the global average.

The Meteorological Office said the Christmas Eve heatwave underscores the accelerating pace of climate change in one of the world’s most sensitive regions, noting that the frequency and intensity of record‑breaking temperatures align with long‑term global warming driven by greenhouse gas emissions.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons License