Storm from Isaias remnants brings 205km/h gusts near Iceland

A powerful storm that developed from the remnants of Hurricane Isaias swept past Iceland on 14 October, bringing hurricane-force winds and a gust of 205 kilometres per hour near the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, NASA says. The satellite image published by NASA’s Earth Observatory shows the storm as it brushed the island. [1]

The system moved east across the North Atlantic, where its air pressure fell by more than 50 hectopascals in 24 hours, according to reports cited by NASA. That rate is about twice the threshold for explosive cyclogenesis, also known as bombogenesis, the rapid intensification of a low-pressure system. [1]

NASA says the storm brought sleet and snow to parts of northern Iceland. A small island offshore recorded sustained winds of 150 kilometres per hour. In north-west Scotland, gusts reached 90 kilometres per hour on the same day, and several ferry routes were cancelled, according to news reports cited by NASA. [1]

The image was captured by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite aboard the NOAA-21 satellite. NASA says some meteorologists believe the cyclone may have set a new October record for low barometric pressure in Iceland, after adjustment for altitude; the possible record would surpass one set in 1963. [1]