Reykjavík weather in October
In October, Reykjavík has daytime highs averaging 6.0 °C, nights around 2.0 °C, with 15 wet days, and a sea temperature of 8.3 °C. Figures are 1991–2020 climate normals.
- 6.0°C Average high
- 2.0°C Average low
- 15days Wet days
- 121mm Rainfall
- 8.3°C Sea temperature
- 9.9h Daylight
Daily temperatures through October
How October develops
Averages for the first, middle and last part of the month, from daily 1991–2020 normals. Chance of rain is the share of years in which that calendar day recorded more than 1 mm.
| Days | Avg high | Avg low | Chance of rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–10 October | 7.5 °C | 3.1 °C | 53 % |
| 11–20 October | 6.5 °C | 2.5 °C | 46 % |
| 21–31 October | 4.3 °C | 0.6 °C | 43 % |
- Average highs fall from 7.5 °C early in October to 4.3 °C by the end of it.
- Rain is most likely over days 1–10 of October (53 % of days) and least likely over days 21–31 (43 %).
What to expect
| Measure | Typical October | Share of the month |
|---|---|---|
| Days above 25 °C | 0 of 31 | 0 % |
| Days above 30 °C | 0 of 31 | 0 % |
| Days below 0 °C | 9.2 of 31 | 30 % |
| Days with more than 1 mm rain | 15 of 31 | 47 % |
Conditions in October
| Measure | Average |
|---|---|
| Mean temperature | 4.0 °C |
| Record high (1991–2020) | 14 °C |
| Record low (1991–2020) | -9.9 °C |
| Relative humidity | 84 % |
| Wind speed | 22 km/h |
| Cloud cover | 72 % |
Where Reykjavík ranks in October
| Ranking | Position | Value |
|---|---|---|
| The coolest places in Europe in October | 25th of 50 | 6.0 °C |
| The coolest places in the world in October | 30th of 50 | 6.0 °C |
October compared with the months around it
| Month | Avg high | Rainfall | Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| August | 13.3 °C | 104 mm | 77 % |
| September | 10.3 °C | 134 mm | 77 % |
| October | 6.0 °C | 121 mm | 72 % |
| November | 2.8 °C | 121 mm | 75 % |
| December | 1.3 °C | 133 mm | 76 % |
See all twelve months for Reykjavík
- October is the 6th warmest month here.
- It is the 7th driest month of the year.
- It ranks 1st for least cloud cover.
- Days last about 9.9 hours from sunrise to sunset.
- It rains on 15 of 31 days — 47 % of the month.
- Nights are about 4.0 °C cooler than the middle of the day.
- The hottest October day on record since 1991 reached 14 °C, 7.6 °C above the usual daytime high.
QuestionsOctober in Reykjavík, answered
How warm is Reykjavík in October?
Daily highs average 6.0 °C and nights fall to about 2.0 °C, a spread of 4.0 °C between afternoon and dawn. That makes October the 6th warmest month of the year here.
Does it rain much in Reykjavík in October?
October averages 121 mm of rain, spread over about 15 of the 31 days — 47 % of the month. Cloud cover averages 72 % of the sky.
Is the sea warm enough to swim in October?
The sea averages 8.3 °C off Reykjavík in October. Most people find water below 20 °C bracing and above 25 °C comfortable for a long swim; this figure is a monthly surface average, so a sheltered bay on a still afternoon can be warmer.
How long are the days in October?
Reykjavík averages 9.9 hours between sunrise and sunset in October. Day length is computed from latitude and date, so it is exact rather than modelled — but it says nothing about how much of that time is sunny.
Data sources and method
- ERA5 / ERA5-Land reanalysis — Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), ECMWF. Copernicus Licence
- Open-Meteo — Open-Meteo.com. CC BY 4.0
- NOAA OISST v2.1 — NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory. Public domain
- GeoNames — GeoNames.org. CC BY 4.0
- Normal period
- 1991–2020
- Dataset version
- era5-1991-2020-scores1.1
- Last processed
Measured values come from ERA5 reanalysis and are reproduced unchanged. Calculated by us: daylight hours, beach and comfort scores, monthly rankings, threshold day counts, chance of a wet day by date, ten-day averages within the month. Full formulas are on the methodology page.
Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026. Neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use that may be made of the Copernicus information or data it contains.