Hurricane Isaias Became a Powerful Extratropical Cyclone Near Iceland

Hurricane Isaias, the only Atlantic hurricane of 2026, made landfall in Florida on October 9 as a Category 2 storm. After bringing heavy rain and strong winds to the U.S. Gulf Coast and much of the East Coast, the weather system continued across the Atlantic.

Isaias Transformed Into an Extratropical Cyclone

The remnants of Isaias traveled east across the North Atlantic in the jet stream before developing into a powerful extratropical cyclone. These low-pressure systems are often characterized by asymmetrical, comma-shaped cloud patterns and can bring hurricane-force winds, heavy rain, and snowstorm-like conditions.

NOAA-21’s Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) captured images of the extratropical cyclone passing over Iceland on the afternoon of October 14. During that period, the storm’s pressure plummeted by more than 50 hectopascals in 24 hours, approximately twice the threshold commonly associated with explosive cyclogenesis, also known as bombogenesis.

Some meteorologists said the storm may have had a significant impact on Iceland’s weather. According to reports, the storm’s altitude-adjusted barometric pressure in Iceland could break a record that has stood since 1963.

Storm Brings Hurricane-Force Winds to Iceland

The cyclone struck Iceland with strong winds as it skimmed the coast. Wind gusts reached 205 km/h (128 mph), according to recorded measurements. Near the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in southern Iceland, sustained winds of 150 kilometers (93 miles) per hour were reported on a small island just offshore.

Damaging winds also spread across northern Iceland, where residents prepared for sleet and snow. Farther across the Atlantic, in northwestern Scotland, winds gusted to 90 kilometers per hour (55 miles per hour) on October 14, according to news coverage. Several ferry routes were canceled as a result.

NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison using NASA’s VIIRS data, LANCE, GIBS/Worldview, and the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). Story by Lindsay Dorman.

Sources

• BBC (October 14, 2026), Strong winds and heavy rain affect the UK as yellow wind warning is issued. Accessed October 20, 2026.
• CIMSS Satellite Blog (October 14, 2026), Mid-latitude cyclone rapidly strengthening hurricane passes over Iceland. Accessed October 20, 2026.
• NASA Earth Observatory (September 9, 2016), Evolution of Hurricane Hermine. Accessed October 20, 2026.
• NASA Earth Observatory (March 7, 2013), Storms Come in Many Forms. Accessed October 20, 2026.
• NOAA National Ocean Service (September 23, 2026), What Is Bombogenesis? Accessed October 20, 2026.
• RÚV (October 14, 2026), The Storm Moves North. Accessed October 20, 2026.
• Weather & Radar (October 14, 2026), Former Hurricane Turns Into Record-Breaking Storm. Accessed October 20, 2026.