Veðurskilyrði

Veðurskilyrði, literally "weather conditions" in Icelandic, refers to the current state or short-term outlook of the atmosphere at a given place and time. Core components typically include temperature (hitastig), humidity (loftþrýstingur and relative humidity), precipitation (úrkoma), wind (vindur) including speed and direction, and cloud cover and visibility (skýja- og sýnileiki). Measurements are gathered from weather stations, ships, aircraft, and satellites, using units such as degrees Celsius, percent humidity, millimeters of precipitation, meters per second or kilometers per hour for wind, and hectopascals for air pressure. The Beaufort scale is often used to describe wind strength.

Veðurskilyrði are essential for forecasting and planning in transportation, construction, agriculture, and outdoor activities. Forecasters categorize conditions into patterns such as clear, overcast, rainy, snowy, or stormy, and issue advisories when thresholds are exceeded for wind, precipitation, fog, or extreme temperatures. In Iceland, rapid changes and microclimates are common, making accurate assessment of veðurskilyrði particularly important for safety at sea and on highland roads.

Data and numerical weather prediction models support forecasts across multiple time scales, from nowcasting (minutes to hours ahead) to medium-range forecasts (1–7 days) and seasonal outlooks. Users rely on weather summaries, alerts, and specialized forecasts to interpret veðurskilyrði for planning and risk assessment.

See also meteorology, weather forecasting, climate.