“My boy grabbed me”
A large number of stories have been received by mbl.is from readers who experienced thunderstorms in Suður and Suðusturland, late on the evening of Friday, which has now passed.
Iceland’s Meteorological Office has no explanation for the sounds, but it is clear that the thunder was heard in many places and did not seem to have been heard at the same time.
It is worth noting that some people report that they witnessed a shooting star around the time the thunder was heard. We allow some readers of mbl.is to speak for themselves:
Herdís Ómarsdóttir is located right by Flúður in a summer house:
“Was reading to my boy when this strange noise came. At first I thought it was a big earthquake coming, the sound was similar, but no one shook with it. My boy grabbed me and asked in a frightened tone, ‘What is this?'”
The sound lasted for about six to ten seconds, around 11 p.m. “A really strange sound,” says Herdís.
Halla Margrét Viðarsdóttir is in Selfoss:
“I was relaxing outside in the tub around eleven o’clock and I just heard what sounded like thunder that comes with lightning but it’s clear over here and no thunder clouds nearby.”
A reader, who did not want to be named, reported to his partner, who was at Búlandssel east of Mýrdalsjökull, that there had been a loud crash, “as if something was collapsing, quick and loud thuds, it was around 10 p.m. 22.30.”
The thunder lasted for a short time, but a lot of noise followed.
Ágúst H. Bjarnason:
“I heard this even though I was indoors in a summer house not far from Geysi. Went out and met our friend Mary and she looked startled and squirmed on the platform. Of course saw other things, but the thunder was nothing […] In retrospect, I remember that it was two short storms. Maybe three seconds in total. Man this unclear. I’m guessing it was a battle orb or a meteorite.”
Hinrik Þór Hardarson:
“I’m in Tykkvabærn, I heard like two heavy thuds or explosions right around eleven o’clock, not really thunder.”
Ragnar Ólafsson:
“There was a big bang like a volcanic eruption in Mosfellsbær.”
Linda Steinunn Guðgeirsdóttir:
“I was up in a stable in Þorlákshöfn when I heard these huge booms, they were like two explosions.”
Ingvi Smári Hrafnsson:
“My wife and I were in Sléttuhlíð in Hafnarfjörður, which is a little further than the branch to Hvaleyrarvatn. There were three people standing outside a summer house and it was completely calm, then these gorgeous thunders just burst, we were quite startled because they were quite deep thunders and very loud. We looked everywhere around us and just saw nothing, no smoke or anything like that.”
Gunnar Már Zoega:
“Sound good at Laugarvatn.”
Sveinbjörn Úlfarsson is at Iða by Laugarás:
“Heard this around 10.45pm. At first I thought that a truck had driven onto Iðubrú. The next thoughts were a meteorite, Hekla exploding, a broken sound barrier or even an explosion. The sound was short but with considerable bass, which is to say not very loud. First thought it was on here and when I posted Laugarás – the village in the forest it soon became clear that people had noticed this in the capital area and everything in between.”
Edda Swan:
“I’m in a summer house in Snæfokstaðaland in Grímsnes and here it sounded more like an explosion.”
Valgerður Jóhannesdóttir:
“We are in Gnúpverjahrreppi, near Flúður and we heard a lot of thunder, it just happened once.”
Margrét Ívarsdóttir:
“We were both well aware of the thunder tonight. We were right above Guðmundarlund in Kópavogur. A few miles ahead we saw something in the sky, it was a blue spark of light that actually looked like a shooting star, except it was very low in the sky. We don’t know if the two are related in any way, but each was very strange.”
Sigurður Árni Jónsson in Kópavogur:
“I decided to check on the internet if there was anything about what I saw, not so long after I had these nightmares,” says Sigurður and then describes what he had seen:
“I was working in the garden when I saw what looked like a shooting star, except that it was very bright and not far away, hard to describe other than a very large rocket that was shooting fire. My guess: A meteor burning up in the atmosphere.”
Stefán Friðbjarnarson:
“I was fishing in Elliðavatn this evening when I heard thunder between 10:15-10:50 p.m. First came a heavy bang and then thunder for a good five seconds, after the railing on the bridge between Elliðavatn and Helluvatn started to crack and crack, but I didn’t feel anything. I thought the sound had come between the north and the northeast from Elliðavatni.”
Benjamín Berg Halldórsson:
“Heard these thunders clearly in Selfoss, was on the phone outside the door, talked to my brother who was in Keflavík and he heard them too. He described it as a horse’s foot while running on asphalt.”
Sóley Sóleyjardóttir:
“Lots of thunder were heard outside at Faxaflói between 5 and 5:30 p.m. Twice at short intervals. Living by the sea, he took the wireless headphones out of his ears and stared out at the bay. I’ve never heard anything like this before. Reminiscent of more thunder, but still more of a ‘rumbling’ rumble and for a longer period of time than normal thunder.”
Birna Steingrímsdóttir is at Laugarvatn:
“I thought there was a landslide or someone with a powerful New Year’s Eve bomb, leaning on a meteorite. The sound was like very powerful thunder.”
Guðrún Helga Theodórsdóttir is also there:
“We heard a distinct commotion. Thought there was something on the roof of the bungalow. Big bangs.”
Kristján Ingi Jóhannsson is in Öndverdarnes:
“Much thunder, interest noise and no shaking.”
Guðný Karólína Axelsdóttir:
“Could explain the strange noise I heard in my house. I live in Rimum in Flóahreppi and I’m not quite sure what time it was, but it could be somewhere between 10-11 pm tonight. I felt like there was a knock on the kitchen window or something fell on the floor with a dyke, very strange. My husband was sitting right next to me but didn’t hear this.”
Ólafur Pétursson:
“Heard these noises from Landsveit. Sounded like two bombs shortly apart. Didn’t last long as would happen with thunder. At first I thought it was from the eruption, it came from that direction.”
Margrét Hrönn Þrastardóttir is close to Böðmóðsstaðir:
“It was like there had been an explosion. After that came thunder, then a moment passed and the thunder was heard again. Lasted for approx. 2-3 minutes. I think it was from ten o’clock, but I’m not sure about that time.”
Jasmin Bischoff was at the fountains:
“I could hear it clearly. I thought maybe it was an earthquake, but we didn’t find anything. But a few goals before we saw air on him. Or a giant shooting star. Maybe he came down somewhere.”
Reader at Laugarvatn:
“We heard very loud thunder around 10:30-11 p.m. Sounded like a thunderstorm that doesn’t work out weather wise. We all expected a shock wave afterwards as it sounded so powerful.”
Ace in Mosfellsbær:
“I heard thunder very loud in Mosfellsbær, like the sound of an earthquake, thunder, no shaking like thunder, know that this was heard very loud in Vestmannaeyjar and Reykholt.”
Svanhvít on Eyrarbakki:
“It was a big bang, like a bomb I thought.”
Hermann on Selfoss:
“Don’t know what it was, but around 11 p.m. it was as if there had been an explosion.” My son came to me and was a bit scared, but I know that it was a party situation.”
Gudbjörg Rúna:
“We are here in Hallkelshólar in Grímsnes and we found four trees that came up from under our house. We thought it was an earthquake, but we weren’t sure because it was different than what we’ve experienced before.”
Helen Teixeira:
“We were outside our house near the volcano Hekla and we heard this. We thought it was an explosion from some house or business because it was very loud.”
Helga Steinarsdóttir:
“I was in Landsveit not far from Galtalæk and I was aware of thunder and something like a thump on the ground, but not a vibration.”
Jóna Hjálmarsdóttir:
“Was at a golf tournament in Miðdal when the thunder struck, thought it was thunder.”
Sigríður Ágústsdóttir:
“I’m in a summer house near Galtalæk in Landsveit and I heard the thunder very clearly. At first I thought something had fallen from the shelves in an attached storage room – but I didn’t quite understand what it was. There was no tremor with this, just thunder. Then I looked at Hekla – I see her from the house – and nothing to see there. It will be exciting to see if anything is revealed about what it was.”
Gná Elíasdóttir:
“We are camping here in Miðhúskaskógi and we heard some very loud noises. We thought it was thunder or lightning but it was actually clear to us, so we were surprised by this. We thought it might be some car with a useless exhaust pipe. But no car is working here.”
Laufey Hanna:
“We are in Brautarholt on a camping trip, me and four of my friends. We are sitting here quietly enjoying each other’s company, but then we hear a sound that most resembles a fart. It wasn’t, but we thought it sounded like something was wrong, and the sound came in waves.”
Gunnar Ólafsson:
“Shortly before eleven tonight, I heard loud booms or explosions. I was near the sea, at Ölfusáros. It was at least five explosions, which came one after the other and I thought they came from the one in Ingólfsfjall. I have never experienced this before in my life.”
Guðmundur Gíslason:
“I am in Miðdal, just east of Laugarvatn, and at twelve o’clock I woke up and heard loud thunder. It was clear and thunder rarely comes from a clear sky. Myself, I’m inclined to think that an airplane has exceeded the speed of sound, but then sound waves are generated that crash down to the ground. It could also be that a meteorite caused this, but I think that’s unlikely.”
Jóhann is located in Iceland in Hafnarfjörður:
“It was like an explosion. I suspect it was a meteor burning up in the atmosphere.”
Sigrún Axelsdóttir:
“I’m here in Selfoss and when I heard these thunders, I immediately went out the window. I didn’t see anything to indicate that it could make these sounds, I just thought something had hit the roof of the house.”
Kristína Ósk Sigurthórsdóttir is in Grindavík:
“I was walking to see the eruption and heard these thunders along with those who were there. The drones could be heard well, but the ground should not. We thought maybe something had broken out of the crater, but this was pretty scary.”
Veronika Hafthórsdóttir:
“I was on my way up to Þorbjörn in Grindavík with my friend and then we heard the thunder. It was very powerful, but we didn’t feel any tremors. It sounded more like explosions.”
Guðrún Helga Bjarnadóttir:
“We found this good in Skálholt. I went looking for drones, and then we thought maybe some engine was going on. We still didn’t think it sounded like it was coming from any engine. It was around midnight and it felt like it lasted a long time.”
María Ýr is on Laugarási:
“My husband and I heard the thunder, but we don’t agree on what it sounded like. I felt three to four farts coming and then faded away, but my husband thought it was one big fart, and then it was over. We thought it sounded like an old ‘car dragon’.”
Sveinn Rafn Hinriksson:
“Drums were heard and felt in Kópavogur tonight, like an earthquake, but somehow not.”
Kristin Juliana:
“I felt like I was feeling faint on the way from work, but I worked in Keflavík. I thought it sounded like heavy explosions, but I didn’t think anything more about it.”
Guðni Pálsson:
“We heard it out on the platform here in Fljótshlíðinn, thunder or an explosion. Nothing really loud but enough for us to ask each other what it could be. It occurred to a military jet to break the sound barrier or a meteor.”
Gnúpur Halldórsson:
“I found this on my platform in Grafarholt. At first I thought it was normal thunder, but not clouds in the sky. The sound was still reminiscent of normal thunder or even an explosion. I considered this to be possibly the release of charged particles into the haze that surrounds the city.”
Alma Björk Ástthórsdóttir:
“We are in Veidilund in Þingvellir. Let’s hear the thunder long and hard. Nothing like thunder or a jet. The first thing that came to our mind was a landslide. Such a heavy long monosyllabic drone. No rise or fall in the sound.