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Weather in Iceland in September

Facts verified 2026-08-04Updated 2026-08-04Weather

The wet turn, by the numbers: rain up 35%, half the month wet, records from 20.1°C to −4.4°C — and the honest trade nobody prints: the rain buys back the aurora sky.

Mid-September at Þingvellir: amber and red autumn moor along dark water, the white church and farmhouse cluster in the distance, the Almannagjá rift wall behind, under a heavy grey sky with one bright patch.
The turn in one frame: autumn moving through Þingvellir in mid-September — amber moor, heavy sky, one patch of sun. CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Short answer

September weather in Iceland is the wet turn: rain jumps 35% over August to 87.0 mm across 15 wet days — half the month — while records run 20.1°C to −4.4°C. Daylight drops three hours, and the trade is real: the aurora sky comes back. Live reading below.

What is the weather in Iceland right now?

TownNowWindSky
Reykjavík8°C6 m/sOvercast
Vík7°C12 m/sOvercast
Höfn2°C2 m/sClear sky
Landmannalaugar2°C8 m/sLight drizzle

Live Open-Meteo readings for our reference towns, fetched at render. The full live board — roads, alerts, aurora, webcams — is Iceland Pulse.

September in Reykjavík — the whole table

MetricValueWhat it means
Mean daily high11.4°CSummer’s last soft month
Mean daily low6.2°CNights cooling fast
Record high20.1°CStill possible early on
Record low−4.4°CThe first real freeze on record
Precipitation87.0 mm+35% over August — the wet turn
Wet days15.0Half the month sees rain
Sunshine118.3 hDown from August’s 164.8

Two rows carry the month. 15.0 wet days — half of September rains, the clearest single statistic of the autumn turn. And the record spread: 20.1°C at one end, −4.4°C at the other, nearly twenty-five degrees apart — pack for a season, not a month. The wind, as always, decides how every number feels; the live table above is the day’s truth.

How much daylight does September have?

DateSunriseSunsetDay length
09-0106:0720:4914 h 41 m
09-1006:3320:1713 h 43 m
09-2007:0219:4112 h 39 m
09-3007:3019:0511 h 34 m

Computed, not copied — sunrise and sunset for 2026 at Reykjavík’s own coordinates (64.15, -21.94), NOAA solar algorithm. September sheds 3 h 07 m — and past the equinox the nights outgrow the days. That darkness is the aurora season’s raw material: the forecast page takes it from here.

What is late September like?

The equinox flips the month: nights longer than days, the year’s first genuine autumn lows arriving on real wind, and snow dusting the peaks while the lowlands hold their amber. The aurora window grows generous — late September pairs long dark nights with milder roads than mid-winter offers. Highland roads are the caution: early snow can close F-roads ahead of schedule, so the live board decides, not the calendar.

For everything beyond the weather — réttir, the returning lights, what stays open — the September pillar carries the month; October is where this weather is heading.

Cars & campers

−12%exclusive discountFree cancellationKEF airport pickup 24/74.8
Dacia Duster 4x4
SUV

Dacia Duster 4x4

Cheapest real 4WD in the fleet — gravel, the Westfjords and easy summer F-roads without truck prices.

TransmissionManual
FuelPetrol/diesel
Seats5
Drive4WD
From
5,355 kr6,300 kr/day
Reserve −12%
VW Caravelle
9-seater

VW Caravelle

Whole family or friend group in one car — gear in the back, room to stretch.

TransmissionAutomatic
FuelDiesel
Seats9
Drive2WD
From
12,750 kr15,000 kr/day
Reserve −12%
Key Camper Wild Duo
Camper

Key Camper Wild Duo

Sleep right by the trailhead, wake up at the falls — F-road ready from mid-June.

TransmissionManual
FuelPetrol
Sleeps2
Drive4WD
From
5,304 kr6,240 kr/day
Reserve −12%

September weather — questions people actually ask

What is the weather like in Iceland in September?
The turn of the year, measurably: Reykjavík's normals read 6.2°C to 11.4°C with 87.0 mm of rain over 15 wet days — half the month sees rain, a 35% jump on August — and sunshine drops to 118.3 hours. Days shrink from almost fifteen hours to under twelve. The honest trade: that same turn returns real darkness to the night sky, and with it the first dependable aurora season of the autumn.
How warm is Iceland in September?
The averages say 6.2–11.4°C; the records say pack wider. September's all-time range in Reykjavík runs from 20.1°C — a genuine warm day, still possible early in the month — down to −4.4°C, the calendar's first real freeze on record. The spread between those two numbers is nearly 25 degrees, which is the strongest one-line argument for layers you will find in the climate table.
Does it rain a lot in Iceland in September?
This is the month the rain arrives: 87.0 mm across 15.0 wet days — literally half the month — up 35% from August's 64.5 mm. It usually falls as passing fronts rather than all-day soaks, and the south coast catches more than the north. The working rule: no day is planned around dry weather, every day is planned around waterproofs, and the sky often pays the debt back with low golden light between fronts.
What should I wear in Iceland in September?
The full three-layer system, worn rather than packed: base layer, warm mid-layer, and a genuinely waterproof shell — September is where water-resistant jackets get found out. Waterproof footwear matters more than in summer; a warm hat stops being optional in the evenings. Skip the umbrella (the wind eats them) and add the swimsuit: pool weather is every weather in Iceland.
What is late September like in Iceland?
The equinox flips the month's character: nights outgrow days, the first proper autumn lows start rolling through with real wind, and the peaks take their first snow dustings while the lowlands stay green-and-amber. Aurora nights lengthen fast — by the final week the dark window is generous. It is the most atmospheric stretch of the shoulder season, and the one where checking the forecast every morning becomes non-negotiable.
Can it snow in Iceland in September?
On the mountains, yes — dustings on the higher ground are a normal late-September sight, and the record low of −4.4°C shows the air can carry it. At sea level it is rare and never lasting; Reykjavík's streets stay snow-free in all but exceptional years. Highland roads are the practical concern: early-season snow can close F-roads ahead of their official season end, so check the live status before any interior plan.
How windy is September in Iceland?
Windier week by week: September carries the year's first true autumn lows, and exposed stretches — Kjalarnes, Hafnarfjall, the southern sandur plains — start earning their reputations again. The live reading above shows the current picture; the practical rule is to treat any forecast gust over 15 m/s as a schedule item, especially in a camper or with roof cargo. Between systems, September serves some of the year's calmest golden days.

Photograph: autumn at Þingvellir, mid-September (2014-09-15), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Climate normals 1991–2020 (including the record rows): Icelandic Met Office, as published in the Reykjavík climate table, read 4 August 2026. Daylight computed at render (NOAA solar algorithm, Reykjavík coordinates; Iceland keeps UTC year-round). Live reading: Open-Meteo via our Pulse feed at render time, shown only when the feed answers.

Iceland nowfrom 19 Sep 06:10
8°C · overcastWind 2 m/sRing Road (R1) openAurora Kp 2.67Daylight 07:02 – 19:39Webcams