Iceland Records Hottest Christmas Eve Amidst Unprecedented Warm Temperatures in 2025
On 24 December 2025, Seyðisfjörður in eastern Iceland recorded a temperature of 19.8C, marking the hottest Christmas Eve on record in the country. Bakkagerði in eastern Borgarfjörður closely followed with 19.7C on the same day, matching the previous record of 19.7C set in Kvískerjar, Öræfi (southeast Iceland) on 2 December 2019. Typically, average December temperatures in Iceland range from -1C to 4C.
Birgir Örn Höskuldsson from the Icelandic Meteorological Office attributed the record-breaking warmth to a strong high-pressure system that brought tropical-origin warm and moist air over Iceland, blocking colder air masses. Earlier in 2025, May also experienced unusually high temperatures due to heatwaves, with Egilsstaðir airport reaching 26.6C on 15 May. Nearly 94% of automatic weather stations with at least 20 years of data recorded new May temperature records, with some locations experiencing temperatures 3–4C above normal.
The article connects the unusually warm year to global heating driven by fossil fuel emissions. The warming trend has also allowed mosquitoes to be found in Iceland for the first time, indicating the country's growing suitability for insect habitats amid climate change.
