Extratropical Cyclone Whips Past Iceland, Setting Possible Pressure Record

After Hurricane Isaias made landfall in Florida on Oct. 9, its remnants rode the jet stream into the North Atlantic and intensified into a powerful extratropical cyclone. On Oct. 14 the system brushed Iceland, dropping more than 50 hPa in 24 hours—about twice the threshold for explosive cyclogenesis, or bombogenesis. Meteorologists say the storm may have set a new October low barometric pressure for Iceland, potentially breaking a record that has stood since 1963. Winds reached 205 km/h (128 mph) near Eyjafjallajökull volcano and 150 km/h (93 mph) on a nearby island, while northern Iceland faced sleet and snow. Across the Atlantic, northwestern Scotland recorded gusts up to 90 km/h (55 mph), forcing several ferry cancellations. The VIIRS instrument on NOAA‑21 captured the cyclone’s comma‑shaped cloud pattern as it passed.