Hitabylgja og bikblæðing

Heat wave and bitumen bleeding

There's currently a heat wave in Iceland – people everywhere are lying in the sun and enjoying the heat. Temperatures above 20°C are rare in Iceland, which is why most people are enjoying this weather all the more. The heat wave is expected to continue until the middle of the week.

But the beautiful, warm weather also has its downsides – at least one dog has apparently already died of heatstroke. And in many places, the asphalt on Iceland's roads is "bleeding," which can lead to dangerous situations and damage to vehicles.

Hitabylgja - Heatwave

Source: vedur.is

For days now, temperatures have been rising above 20°C in many places, first in the east, but then also in many other parts of the country. For Icelanders, it feels like summer starts at 15°C, and midsummer starts at 20°C – that's rare enough. This makes many people all the more enjoying this unusual midsummer and the hot temperatures in the wonderful weather.

Last Thursday, May 15, 2025, a new heat record was set, with a midday temperature of 25.8°C recorded at Egilsstaðir Airport. The previous highest temperature ever recorded in May in Iceland was 25.6°C—that was in May 1992 in Vopnafjörður in northeastern Iceland.

Yesterday, the third highest temperature ever recorded in Iceland was reported - 25.1° in Borgarfjörður.

Source: vedur.is

But the first clouds are slowly moving in. Highs are expected to reach "only" 23°C today, and only 22°C tomorrow. Starting Thursday, the weather is expected to change, and temperatures should return to "normal", according to the current forecast.

Warning from animal welfare organizations

In view of the current heatwave, animal welfare organizations are calling on Icelanders to pay more attention to their pets, always provide enough water and, above all, not to leave dogs in the car.

For us as Central Europeans, this is quite normal - but Icelanders are not used to having to think about not leaving their dogs in the car because it gets too hot there.

One dog apparently died of heat stroke, and at least two others had to be treated for heat stroke in a veterinary hospital, but fortunately survived because their owners recognized the seriousness of the situation quickly enough.

Bikblæðing - Bitumen bleeding in asphalt

Source: umferdin.is

Even the tar on the country's roads is not made for such heat and such relatively long periods of heat - on vegagerðin.is, the Icelandic Road Administration warns of "bikblæðing" on many roads in the country.

Special caution is required!

Road users are advised to drive carefully and reduce their speed.

Near us, at the Kerið crater, which is a very popular tourist hotspot, there are also such "bitumen bleedings" on road 35, the Biskupstungnabraut.

Kerið crater

The road traffic authority warns here:

"Vart hefur við bikblæðingu. Hætta á steinkasti. Hraði tekin niður í 30 km/klst. Akið varlega."

In English: "Bitumen bleeding has been reported. There is a risk of stone chipping. Reduce speed to 30 km/h. Drive carefully! "

In principle, it is also safer not to drive in the lane grooves, from which the bitumen often escapes first, but closer to the edge of the road, where the road is normally less stressed.

To reduce the danger of such bleeding, the traffic authority tries to regularly sprinkle sand on the relevant road sections to bind the escaping "fluid", thus also reducing the risk of rockfall.

What are bitumen bleedings?

Depending on the composition of the ingredients, in extreme heat on asphalt roads, the individual components of the tar can separate again if the temperature directly on a black asphalt road reaches more than 50° in direct sunlight.

Tar is applied with a mixture consisting essentially of about 95% gravel and about 5% bitumen. In extreme heat, the stones that normally lie on top can sink into the tar under the pressure of traffic, causing the bitumen to remain on the surface and seep out.

This "bleeding" from the tar on the road can cause the roads to become extremely slippery .

The tar then sticks to the tires, wraps around the wheels, and causes damage to the tires and the car's bodywork. Furthermore, the tires lose all grip, which is extremely dangerous.

Source: ruv.is

Please drive carefully and take the warnings seriously!