Although this November has been one of the warmest on record, it has not quite broken any records.
Much of Iceland has experienced unusually warm temperatures for this time of year, with no snow so far in the capital region.
In a recent Facebook post, Meteorological Office specialist Einar Sveinbjörnsson published a short report, stating that ultimately, the record was not broken.
In Reykjavík, the average temperature for November was 5.1°C (41°F). While not an all-time record, it is nevertheless the highest average temperature for November in the 21st century. The all-time record was in 1945, when average November temperatures reached 6.1°C (43°F).
Likewise, it was also unusually warm in Akureyri, but not record-breakingly so. The November average was recorded at 4.2°C (40°F), with an all-time record of 4.8°C (41°F) in 1956. However, Einar notes that an error in data entry may have affected the number for this month.
When asked by Vísir whether these unusual temperatures were anomalies or parts of a larger trend, Einar stated: “The short answer is that it is anomalous, and that we do get these warm Novembers every decade or so. But on the other hand, if these patterns, which we know so little about, begin to accelerate, then we can begin to talk about climate change.”
