Glacial river Jökulsá á Fjöllum started overflowing by the bridge by Grímsstaðir in Northeast Iceland yesterday because of the largest ice jam which has formed in the river since 2010. Water flowed across Ring Road 1 but it remains open, visir.is reported this morning.
The ice which had formed on the banks and the surface of the river has broken into many fragments, as explained on the website of the Icelandic Met Office.
Cold weather conditions and low river discharge have resulted in the formation of river ice and slush. A mixture of ice and slush extends for several kilometers upstream and downstream from Grímsstaðir.
As the breakup of snow and ice continues, water could continue to flow across the road. Also, if the discharge of Jökulsá á Fjöllum increases due to snow-melt or rainfall, the level of flooding could become greater, the Icelandic Met Office warns.
