Vík í Mýrdal: Difference between revisions

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			{{Redirect-distinguish\|Vík\|Vik (disambiguation)}}
	]
			{{More citations needed\|date=March 2010}}
			{{Infobox settlement
			\|name = Vík í Mýrdal
			\|other_name = Vík
			\|native_name =
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			\|settlement_type = Town
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			\|map_caption = Location of the Municipality of Mýrdalshreppur
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			\|population_as_of = Town: 2016 / Metro: 2021
			\|population_footnotes = <ref name=Hagstofa>{{cite web\|url=http://px.hagstofa.is/pxis/pxweb/is/Ibuar/Ibuar__mannfjoldi__1_yfirlit__arsfjordungstolur/MAN10001.px/table/tableViewLayout1/?rxid=7a3dc810-d1ca-4a74-9be6-67f449bf441c\|title=Hagstofa Íslands, Mannfjöldi eftir sveitarfélögum\|access-date=25 June 2021}}</ref>
			\|population_note =
			\|population_total = 318
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			\|timezone = ]
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			\|website = {{URL\|https://www.vik.is/is/}}
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			}}

			The village of '''Vík''' ({{IPA-is\|ˈviːk\|-\|Is-Vik pronunciation.ogg}}), known as '''Vík í Mýrdal''' ({{IPA-is\|ˈviːk iː ˈmirˌtaːl̥\|}}) in full, is the southernmost village in ]. It is located on the ] around the island, and is around {{convert\|180\|km\|abbr=on}} southeast of ] by road.
	]

			Despite its small size (750 inhabitants in Mýrdalshreppur as of January 2021<ref name=Hagstofa></ref>) it is the largest settlement for some {{convert\|70\|km\|abbr=on}} around and is an important staging post. It is an important service center for both inhabitants and visitors to the coastal strip between ] and the west edge of the ] glacial outwash plain.
	The village '''Vík''' in the south of ] is indicated on road signs from a long distance (about 180 km from Reykjavík), despite its small size (about 300 inhabitants).

			==Overview==
	It is an important service center for the inhabitants and tourists around the ] ].
			In 1991, the US journal ''Islands Magazine'' counted the beach at Vík as one of the ten most beautiful beaches on Earth. Its stretch of black ] sand<ref>{{cite web \|title=The Iceland's black sand beach \|url=https://www.buubble.com/about-icelands-black-sand-beach/}}</ref> is one of the wettest places in Iceland. The cliffs west of the beach are home to many seabirds, most notably ]s which burrow into the shallow soils during nesting season.<ref>"". ''Vik Expeditions''. 25 May 2021.</ref> Offshore lie ] of basalt rock, remnants of a once more extensive cliffline {{Langx\|is\|Reynisfjall\|label=none}} ({{IPA\|is\|ˈreiːnɪsˌfjatl̥\|}}), now battered by the sea.<ref>"". ''iceland.org''. Retrieved 11 January 2024.</ref> According to folklore, the sea stacks are former ]s who tried to drag their boats out to sea only to be caught by the rising dawn.<ref>"". ''Atlas Obscura''. 31 August 2011.</ref> The sea around them is rather wild and stormy,<ref>Kyzer, Larissa (June 12, 2022). "". ''Iceland Review''.</ref> and travelers will note a monument to the memory of drowned seamen on the beach.

			]
	A remarkable feature is the beautiful black beach with the ''Reynisdrangar'', black lava columns sculpted by the sea. A folk tale says that they are former ]s which were caught outside at dawn. The sea around them is rather wild and stormy, so travelers will not be surprised to discover a monument to the memory of drowned seamen at the beach. The American journal ''Islands Magazine'' counted this beach as one of the 10 most beautiful beaches on Earth in 1991.

			Contemporary legends tell the story of a husband who found his wife taken by the two trolls, and frozen at night. The husband made the two trolls swear to never kill anyone ever again. His wife was the love of his life, whose free spirit he was unable to provide a home for. She found her fate out among the trolls, rocks, and sea at Reynisfjara ({{IPA\|is\|ˈreiːnɪsˌfjaːra\|}}).<ref>{{Cite book \|last=Beckwith \|first=Ken \|title=Heart of Birds, Refuge by the Sea and Blurb, 2020. \|date=2 January 2020 \|publisher=Refuge by the Sea/Blurb \|year=2020 \|isbn=978-1714366767}}</ref>
	The near-by mountain ''Reynisfjall'' is very famous in ornithologist circles. Many different species of birds are to be seen there in summer, especially ]s. These can also be observed at the peninsula ] some kilometers away.

			The village was affected by volcanic ash during the ].<ref>{{cite news\| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8670049.stm \| work=BBC News \| title=Volcanic ash covers Icelandic town \| date=2010-05-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite news\| url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iceland-volcano-threatens-ash-cloud-sequel/ \| work=CBS News \|title=Iceland volcano threatens ash cloud sequel}}</ref><ref>. ''The Washington Times''</ref>
	The village of Vik has another notable characteristic, one which may cause inconvenience to visitors. The chance of rainy days here is higher than in all the rest of Iceland.

			==Danger from the Katla volcano==
	Near Vik in 1964 and in 1965 two French sounding rockets of the type "Dragon" were launched from a transportable launch pad.
			Vík lies directly south of the ] glacier, which itself is on top of the ]. Katla has not erupted since 1918, and as this is longer than typical dormant period, there has been speculation that an eruption may occur soon. An eruption of Katla could melt enough ice to trigger an enormous flash flood, potentially large enough to obliterate the entire town.<ref>Bjarnason, Egill (2 September 2017). "". ''Associated Press''.</ref> The town's church, located high on a hill, is believed to be the only building that would survive such a flood.<ref>{{cite news\|url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eu_volcano_science \|title=Threat of new, larger Icelandic eruption looms \|work=yahoo.com \|publisher=Yahoo Inc \|access-date=26 April 2010 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425014954/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eu_volcano_science \|archive-date=25 April 2010 }}</ref> The people of Vík are aware that they may only have 15 minutes to evacuate to the church at the first sign of an eruption.<ref>Lawless, Jill (14 January 2017). "". ''The Hamilton Spectator'' (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada). p. G17.</ref> The town has 1,400 hotel rooms for scientists and tourists, who are also briefed about Katla's dangers.<ref>{{cite web\|url= https://nypost.com/2017/09/02/tourists-are-flocking-to-volcano-thats-due-for-a-massive-eruption/ \|title=Tourists are flocking to volcano that's due for a massive eruption\|date=2 September 2017\|access-date=3 September 2017}}</ref>

			==Climate==
			Vík í Mýrdal is the warmest place in Iceland, with an annual mean temperature of {{convert\|5.3\|C\|1\|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite news\|url=http://www.vedur.is/um-vi/frettir/nr/1034\|title=Vík í Mýrdal \|publisher=]\|access-date=2 May 2016}}</ref> Like most of coastal Iceland, Vík í Mýrdal has a ] (] ''Cfc'') with cold but not severe winters, and cool, short summers. Its winters are among the warmest in Iceland, with an average winter day having a daytime high around {{convert\|4\|C\|0\|abbr=on}}. Because it lies on the windward side of the ], Vík í Mýrdal is the wettest coastal town in Iceland, with an annual rainfall of {{convert\|2250\|mm\|in\|0}}, which is three times more than ], five times more than ] on the north coast of the island, and many times more than its far northern location would normally indicate. Precipitation on the ] and ] glaciers near the town is believed to be as high as {{convert\|160\|in\|mm\|-2\|order=flip}} of rainfall equivalent, which would mean at least {{convert\|160\|ft\|m\|0\|order=flip}} of ] at those higher altitudes.
			{{Weather box
			\|location= Vík í Mýrdal (1961-1990); Extremes (1961-2011)
			\|metric first= Yes
			\|single line= Yes
			\|width = auto
			\|Jan record high C = 10.6
			\|Feb record high C =13.0
			\|Mar record high C =12.5
			\|Apr record high C =15.8
			\|May record high C =19.7
			\|Jun record high C = 21.5
			\|Jul record high C = 23.1
			\|Aug record high C =24.4
			\|Sep record high C =17.2
			\|Oct record high C = 16.5
			\|Nov record high C =13.4
			\|Dec record high C =11.9
			\|Jan high C= 3.5
			\|Feb high C=4.0
			\|Mar high C=4.4
			\|Apr high C=6.5
			\|May high C=9.0
			\|Jun high C= 11.3
			\|Jul high C= 13.2
			\|Aug high C=12.8
			\|Sep high C=10.3
			\|Oct high C= 7.4
			\|Nov high C=4.7
			\|Dec high C=3.6
			\|Jan mean C= 1.2
			\|Feb mean C=2.0
			\|Mar mean C=1.9
			\|Apr mean C=4.0
			\|May mean C=6.7
			\|Jun mean C= 8.9
			\|Jul mean C= 10.8
			\|Aug mean C=10.6
			\|Sep mean C=8.1
			\|Oct mean C= 5.4
			\|Nov mean C=2.6
			\|Dec mean C=1.3
			\|Jan low C= -1.4
			\|Feb low C=-0.6
			\|Mar low C=-0.7
			\|Apr low C=1.4
			\|May low C=4.1
			\|Jun low C= 6.7
			\|Jul low C= 8.3
			\|Aug low C=8.0
			\|Sep low C=5.4
			\|Oct low C=2.8
			\|Nov low C=-0.1
			\|Dec low C=-1.3
			\|Jan record low C = -13.2
			\|Feb record low C =-15.9
			\|Mar record low C =-13.4
			\|Apr record low C =-16.9
			\|May record low C =-6.2
			\|Jun record low C =-1.6
			\|Jul record low C = 2.5
			\|Aug record low C =1.2
			\|Sep record low C =-3.3
			\|Oct record low C =-9.9
			\|Nov record low C =-12.2
			\|Dec record low C =-14.0
			\|precipitation colour = green
			\|Jan precipitation mm = 203.1
			\|Feb precipitation mm =178.6
			\|Mar precipitation mm =184.7
			\|Apr precipitation mm =155.9
			\|May precipitation mm =137.7
			\|Jun precipitation mm = 171.7
			\|Jul precipitation mm = 151.7
			\|Aug precipitation mm =211.0
			\|Sep precipitation mm =214.4
			\|Oct precipitation mm =242.2
			\|Nov precipitation mm =195.3
			\|Dec precipitation mm =206.2
			\|source = ]<ref>{{Cite web \|url=http://www.vedur.is/Medaltalstoflur-txt/Stod_798_Vik_i_Myrdal.ManMedal.txt\|title=Climatological Data for Vík í Mýrdal\|publisher=] \|access-date=24 September 2016}}</ref>}}

			==Sports==
			*] is a sports club based in Vík í Mýrdal.

			== In popular culture ==
			Vík í Mýrdal serves as the primary setting of ]'s Icelandic original series '']'', which follows a group of the village's inhabitants as they struggle in the aftermath of the volcano's first eruption since 1918.<ref>{{Cite web\|last=Scott\|first=Sheena\|title='Katla': Eerie New Netflix Original Series From Iceland\|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/sheenascott/2021/06/18/katla-eerie-new-netflix-original-series-from-iceland/\|access-date=2021-07-01\|website=Forbes\|language=en}}</ref>

	Vík is the site of the fictional ]'s ''Vik Institute'' in the TV series ].
	==See also==		==See also==
	*]		*]
			*]

	==~~External links~~==		==References==
			{{Reflist}}

			==External links==
	*
	*		*{{Commons-inline\|Vík í Mýrdal}}
			*{{Wikivoyage-inline\|Vík í Mýrdal}}
			*

	]		{{Cities and towns in Iceland}}
			{{Authority control}}
			{{Coord\|63\|25\|10\|N\|19\|00\|35\|W\|region:IS_type:city(300)\|display=title}}

			{{DEFAULTSORT:Vik I Myrdal}}
	]
			]
	]
	]		]
	]

Latest revision as of 20:26, 8 November 2024

"Vík" redirects here. Not to be confused with Vik (disambiguation).

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Town in South Constituency, Iceland

Vík í Mýrdal Vík
Town

Location of the Municipality of Mýrdalshreppur
Vík í MýrdalLocation in Iceland
Coordinates: 63°25′N 19°00′W / 63.417°N 19.000°W / 63.417; -19.000
Country	Iceland
Constituency	South Constituency
Region	Southern Region
Municipality	Mýrdalshreppur
Population
• Town	318
• Metro	750
Time zone	UTC+0 (GMT)
Website	www.vik.is/is/

The village of Vík (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈviːk] ), known as Vík í Mýrdal ([ˈviːk iː ˈmirˌtaːl̥]) in full, is the southernmost village in Iceland. It is located on the main ring road around the island, and is around 180 km (110 mi) southeast of Reykjavík by road.

Despite its small size (750 inhabitants in Mýrdalshreppur as of January 2021) it is the largest settlement for some 70 km (43 mi) around and is an important staging post. It is an important service center for both inhabitants and visitors to the coastal strip between Skógar and the west edge of the Mýrdalssandur glacial outwash plain.

Overview

In 1991, the US journal Islands Magazine counted the beach at Vík as one of the ten most beautiful beaches on Earth. Its stretch of black basalt sand is one of the wettest places in Iceland. The cliffs west of the beach are home to many seabirds, most notably puffins which burrow into the shallow soils during nesting season. Offshore lie stacks of basalt rock, remnants of a once more extensive cliffline Reynisfjall ([ˈreiːnɪsˌfjatl̥]), now battered by the sea. According to folklore, the sea stacks are former trolls who tried to drag their boats out to sea only to be caught by the rising dawn. The sea around them is rather wild and stormy, and travelers will note a monument to the memory of drowned seamen on the beach.

Contemporary legends tell the story of a husband who found his wife taken by the two trolls, and frozen at night. The husband made the two trolls swear to never kill anyone ever again. His wife was the love of his life, whose free spirit he was unable to provide a home for. She found her fate out among the trolls, rocks, and sea at Reynisfjara ([ˈreiːnɪsˌfjaːra]).

The village was affected by volcanic ash during the 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull.

Danger from the Katla volcano

Vík lies directly south of the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, which itself is on top of the Katla volcano. Katla has not erupted since 1918, and as this is longer than typical dormant period, there has been speculation that an eruption may occur soon. An eruption of Katla could melt enough ice to trigger an enormous flash flood, potentially large enough to obliterate the entire town. The town's church, located high on a hill, is believed to be the only building that would survive such a flood. The people of Vík are aware that they may only have 15 minutes to evacuate to the church at the first sign of an eruption. The town has 1,400 hotel rooms for scientists and tourists, who are also briefed about Katla's dangers.

Climate

Vík í Mýrdal is the warmest place in Iceland, with an annual mean temperature of 5.3 °C (41.5 °F). Like most of coastal Iceland, Vík í Mýrdal has a subpolar oceanic climate (Koppen Cfc) with cold but not severe winters, and cool, short summers. Its winters are among the warmest in Iceland, with an average winter day having a daytime high around 4 °C (39 °F). Because it lies on the windward side of the Gulf Stream, Vík í Mýrdal is the wettest coastal town in Iceland, with an annual rainfall of 2,250 millimetres (89 in), which is three times more than Reykjavík, five times more than Akureyri on the north coast of the island, and many times more than its far northern location would normally indicate. Precipitation on the Mýrdalsjökull and Vatnajökull glaciers near the town is believed to be as high as 4,100 millimetres (160 in) of rainfall equivalent, which would mean at least 49 metres (160 ft) of snow at those higher altitudes.

Climate data for Vík í Mýrdal (1961-1990); Extremes (1961-2011)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	10.6 (51.1)	13.0 (55.4)	12.5 (54.5)	15.8 (60.4)	19.7 (67.5)	21.5 (70.7)	23.1 (73.6)	24.4 (75.9)	17.2 (63.0)	16.5 (61.7)	13.4 (56.1)	11.9 (53.4)	24.4 (75.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	3.5 (38.3)	4.0 (39.2)	4.4 (39.9)	6.5 (43.7)	9.0 (48.2)	11.3 (52.3)	13.2 (55.8)	12.8 (55.0)	10.3 (50.5)	7.4 (45.3)	4.7 (40.5)	3.6 (38.5)	7.6 (45.6)
Daily mean °C (°F)	1.2 (34.2)	2.0 (35.6)	1.9 (35.4)	4.0 (39.2)	6.7 (44.1)	8.9 (48.0)	10.8 (51.4)	10.6 (51.1)	8.1 (46.6)	5.4 (41.7)	2.6 (36.7)	1.3 (34.3)	5.3 (41.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−1.4 (29.5)	−0.6 (30.9)	−0.7 (30.7)	1.4 (34.5)	4.1 (39.4)	6.7 (44.1)	8.3 (46.9)	8.0 (46.4)	5.4 (41.7)	2.8 (37.0)	−0.1 (31.8)	−1.3 (29.7)	2.7 (36.9)
Record low °C (°F)	−13.2 (8.2)	−15.9 (3.4)	−13.4 (7.9)	−16.9 (1.6)	−6.2 (20.8)	−1.6 (29.1)	2.5 (36.5)	1.2 (34.2)	−3.3 (26.1)	−9.9 (14.2)	−12.2 (10.0)	−14.0 (6.8)	−16.9 (1.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	203.1 (8.00)	178.6 (7.03)	184.7 (7.27)	155.9 (6.14)	137.7 (5.42)	171.7 (6.76)	151.7 (5.97)	211.0 (8.31)	214.4 (8.44)	242.2 (9.54)	195.3 (7.69)	206.2 (8.12)	2,252.5 (88.69)
Source: Icelandic Met Office

Sports

Ungmennafélagið Katla is a sports club based in Vík í Mýrdal.

In popular culture

Vík í Mýrdal serves as the primary setting of Netflix's Icelandic original series Katla, which follows a group of the village's inhabitants as they struggle in the aftermath of the volcano's first eruption since 1918.

References

^ "Hagstofa Íslands, Mannfjöldi eftir sveitarfélögum". Retrieved 25 June 2021.
"The Iceland's black sand beach".
"South Iceland Birdwatching Guide". Vik Expeditions. 25 May 2021.
"Basalt Columns in Iceland: Names, Facts, and Features". iceland.org. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
"Reynisdrangar". Atlas Obscura. 31 August 2011.
Kyzer, Larissa (June 12, 2022). "Tourist Dies at Reynisfjara, Group Caught by Waves in the Same Spot the Next Day". Iceland Review.
Beckwith, Ken (2 January 2020). Heart of Birds, Refuge by the Sea and Blurb, 2020. Refuge by the Sea/Blurb. ISBN 978-1714366767.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
"Volcanic ash covers Icelandic town". BBC News. 2010-05-08.
"Iceland volcano threatens ash cloud sequel". CBS News.
Iceland volcano erupts; hundreds evacuated. The Washington Times
Bjarnason, Egill (2 September 2017). "Watching Katla: Icelanders plan for next volcanic eruption". Associated Press.
"Threat of new, larger Icelandic eruption looms". yahoo.com. Yahoo Inc. Archived from the original on 25 April 2010. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
Lawless, Jill (14 January 2017). "Gushing geysers and steaming hot springs". The Hamilton Spectator (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada). p. G17.
"Tourists are flocking to volcano that's due for a massive eruption". 2 September 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
"Vík í Mýrdal". Icelandic Meteorological Office. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
"Climatological Data for Vík í Mýrdal". Icelandic Meteorological Office. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
Scott, Sheena. "'Katla': Eerie New Netflix Original Series From Iceland". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-07-01.

External links

Media related to Vík í Mýrdal at Wikimedia Commons
Vík í Mýrdal travel guide from Wikivoyage
Beach at Reynisdrangar virtual tour

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63°25′10″N 19°00′35″W / 63.41944°N 19.00972°W / 63.41944; -19.00972

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