Iceland Weather In August – Everything You Need To Know

Thinking of visiting Iceland? My husband and I took an amazing couple’s trip and have all the weather and climate info you’ll need, right here. Read on to learn all about Iceland weather in August, so you can be better prepared for your next big adventure.

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Iceland Weather In August

Iceland, the land of fire and ice. There aren’t many places on earth where you can see a volcano on the same day you hike a glacier, but this amazing country is one of them.

There is no bad time to visit Iceland. In winter you can do mostly all the same amazing things you can do in summer in Iceland, just with different precautions and preparation. Here we will discuss Iceland’s weather in summer, specifically August, to help you plan your next trip to Iceland.

August is Iceland’s second warmest month, and the last month of summer. It lays on the cusp between seasons, making it the perfect time of year to really see all Iceland has to offer – which is A LOT!

Temperature

Taking August as a whole, the average high temperature is 55°F (13°C). The average low is 47°F (8°C). The beginning of the month tends to have the warmer days, slowly cooling off towards the end of the month.

We hiked Sólheimajökull glacier on August 22nd and, as you can see in the photo, wound up removing layers of clothing, ending up in just long sleeve shirts and a open jacket.

For a visual reference, here is a chart depicting the average monthly high and low temperatures in Iceland throughout the year.

Precipitation

Rain falls all throughout the year in Iceland, varying between about 2″-4.5″ per month. August generally has about 3.4″ of rain, spread out through the course of the month, which is on the high end.

We visited from the 19th-23rd and experienced one singular rain shower, how lucky were we?! Of course, you should always be prepared for wetter weather, just in case!

Here’s another visual for you, of rainfall in Iceland throughout the year.

Even though there is a significant likelihood of rain, the wind in Iceland renders umbrellas pretty useless. Don’t waste the space in your luggage with an umbrella when packing for Iceland in summer. Instead, opt for waterproof outerwear, and bring along a couple ponchos just in case.

Daylight

Iceland is situated very far north, giving it an extremely wide variety of daylight hours. Home in Boston, our largest difference in terms of daylight is slightly more than 6 hours, between the winter and summer solstices. In Iceland however, their days can have a range of 17 hours!

The shortest day in Iceland is the winter solstice, which gives them a mere 4 hours and 7 minutes of daylight. By contrast, their longest day, the summer solstice, gives them a whopping 21 hours and 8 minutes of sunshine!

August is still a month of plenty of sunshine, with an average of about 16 hours of daylight! Late August provides a unique opportunity to both enjoy the long days, and also have the chance of catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights when the sun does go down.

We were fortunate enough to see the Northern Lights right from our hotel room’s balcony in Reykjavik at about 1:00 am on August 21.

Here is another handy chart to help you visualize the length of days in Iceland.

Is August A Good Time To Visit Iceland?

My answer to that is a resounding YES! Between the mild weather (just make sure to bring a raincoat!), the long days, and the ability to see the Northern Lights, there is really no negative side to visiting Iceland in August!

Iceland weather in August provides ample opportunity for exploring this unbelievable country. You can drive the ring road, take a Golden Circle tour, explore the South Coast, and so much more.

Additional Helpful Iceland Information