Jökull - 01.12.1993, Page 3

TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS IN ICELAND AND THE
EASTERN NORTH-ATLANTIC REGION, BASED ON
OB SERVATION S 1901-1990
MARKÚS Á. EINARSSON f
Icelandic Meteorological Office
Bústaðavegi 9, 150 Reykjavík, Iceland
ABSTRACT
Monthly and annual temperatures for the period
1901-1990 were collectedfor 23 weather stations, i.e.
7 Icelandic stations, 6 stations surrounding the coasts
of Greenland, 5 stations along the coast ofW-Norway,
besides 5 island stationsfrom the Faeroe Islands along
the Norwegian Sea to Svalbard. Temperature condi-
tions in Iceland relate closely to a region that extends
about halfway towards both the coast of W-Norway
and Jan Mayen, covers the Faeros Islands and ex-
tends towards west or southwestfrom Iceland over the
GreenlandSea and to SW-Greenland. The coldperiod
in the first two decades ofthe century appeared in all
parts ofthe North-Atlantic region.
INTRODUCTION
A number of factors affect temperature conditions
in the eastern North-Atlantic region, meteorological
as well as geographical. Cyclones pass frequently
through this region, usually moving from southwest
towards northeast. This can cause sudden temperature
changes, or relatively persistent temperature condi-
ttons for a long time, depending on the tracks of cy-
clones and high pressure systems. Further, a cold high
pressure system often persists over the huge glacier
of Greenland and a high pressure system over Scandi-
navia may also influence weather conditions.
t The author passed away on October 20,1994 and was
not able to read the proofs of this paper.
Figure 1. The region and weather stations used in
the investigation and comparison between tempera-
ture conditions in Iceland and neighbouring coun-
tries. — Svœði það, ásamt veðurstöðvum, sem notað
er til samanburðar milli hitafars á Islandi og í ná-
grannalöndum.
Considerable temperature variations have occurred in
Iceland during this century (Einarsson, 1991). Most
significant are the very cold first two decades, and a
sudden warming after 1920, followedby an unusually
warm period 1926-1946.
JÖKULL, No. 43, 1993 1