Hurricane Isaias hit Florida in early October, and a few days later its leftovers turned up near Iceland as a fierce winter-style storm that some forecasters think may have broken a pressure record from 1963. NASA's Earth Observatory published a satellite image of it on October 20.
Isaias was the only Atlantic hurricane of 2026 so far, and it came ashore in Florida as a Category 2 storm before soaking the Gulf Coast and much of the Eastern Seaboard. Its remnants then rode the jet stream across the North Atlantic and grew into what meteorologists call an extratropical cyclone: a low-pressure system with a comma-shaped cloud pattern that can carry hurricane-force winds, heavy rain and blizzard-like conditions.
How fast the pressure dropped
The NOAA-21 satellite photographed the storm brushing past Iceland on the afternoon of October 14. According to reports NASA cites, the pressure inside it fell by more than 50 hectopascals in a single day, roughly twice what it takes to count as a bomb cyclone, the term for a storm that deepens explosively.
NASA's account says some forecasters believe that may have set a new October low for Iceland once adjusted for altitude, topping the 1963 mark. It doesn't name them or the weather service they work for, and we couldn't independently confirm the pressure figures or the record with Iceland's Met Office or NOAA. That is a view among forecasters, not an official ruling, and we haven't seen one.
What the wind did on the ground
A gust of about 205 km/h (128 mph) was recorded near the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in the south. A small offshore island saw sustained winds near 150 km/h. Damaging winds also reached the north, where people braced for sleet and snow.
The storm's reach went further. Northwestern Scotland saw gusts of about 90 km/h, according to news reports NASA cites, and several ferry routes were cancelled.
NASA's account says nothing about damage or injuries in Iceland, so we can't say how costly the storm was. Watch for a verdict on the pressure record from Icelandic forecasters.
Sources
- 1.Extratropical Cyclone Whips Past Iceland - NASA Science · NASA Science
Reported by the WattsUpNext desk from the sources linked below. Spot an error? Tell us at corrections@wattsupnext.com.
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