Iceland records about 799mm of rain across roughly 213 wet days a year, which is a 58% chance on an average day. October is the wettest month at 86mm (11% of the annual total) and May the driest at 44mm. Local rain type: steady rain. Rain is nearly constant in Iceland — waterproof outerwear beats umbrellas due to extreme wind. Summer brings drier stretches but always carry a shell layer. Horizontal rain is the norm.
Chance of rain on an average day: 58%
Rainfall climatology for Iceland. The live hour-by-hour answer for today loads at the top of this page from Open-Meteo and refreshes through the day — the figures below describe a typical year, not today.
Conditions on this page are recalculated from the latest forecast every time it is opened, for the current date in the location's own time zone. Showing .
| Annual rainfall | 799mm |
| Rain days per year | 213 |
| Odds on an average day | 58% |
| Wettest month | October — 86mm over 23 days |
| Driest month | May — 44mm over 12 days |
| Rain type | steady rain |
| Best dry window | June and July are the driest months with extended daylight — expect occasional showers but mostly manageable conditions. |
| Worst rain window | October through December brings persistent Atlantic storms with heavy rain and early snow at higher elevations. |
October delivers 95% more rain than May (86mm vs 44mm). That gap is the difference between planning around showers and ignoring them.
No single month holds more than 11% of the annual total, so rain in Iceland is spread through the year — there is no season you can rely on being dry.
Iceland rain typically comes as discrete showers, so a compact umbrella and a flexible plan are usually enough.
Rain falls on about 23 days in October against 12 in May — the frequency swing matters more for planning than the millimetre totals.
Climate normals. Use them to judge whether today's live forecast at the top of the page is typical or unusual for the season.
| Month | Rainfall | Rain days | Chance on a given day | Highs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 76mm | 20 | 67% | 2°C |
| February | 72mm | 19 | 63% | 2°C |
| March | 82mm | 22 | 73% | 4°C |
| April | 58mm | 15 | 50% | 6°C |
| May | 44mm | 12 | 40% | 10°C |
| June | 50mm | 13 | 43% | 12°C |
| July | 52mm | 14 | 47% | 14°C |
| August | 62mm | 17 | 57% | 14°C |
| September | 67mm | 18 | 60% | 12°C |
| October | 86mm | 23 | 77% | 10°C |
| November | 73mm | 19 | 63% | 6°C |
| December | 78mm | 21 | 70% | 4°C |
Rain probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm falls at your location — not how long it rains. For Iceland we combine the hourly probability curve, expected volume in millimetres, and the city's own rainfall record into a single umbrella verdict.
| Factor | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly probability | 40% | Peak and sustained chance of measurable rain across the next 24 hours. |
| Expected volume | 30% | Total millimetres, which separates a passing shower from a genuine soaking. |
| Timing & duration | 20% | When rain starts, when it eases, and the longest continuous dry window. |
| Local rain type | 10% | Drizzle, brief showers, thunderstorms or monsoon — each needs different gear. |
Live hourly values come from Open-Meteo and refresh through the day. Monthly rainfall figures are climate normals, so they describe a typical year rather than a forecast.
Iceland records rain on roughly 213 days a year — about a 58% chance on any given day — totalling around 799mm.
October, with about 86mm over 23 rain days. That is 11% of the entire year's rainfall in a single month.
May is the driest month at 44mm across roughly 12 days. June and July are the driest months with extended daylight — expect occasional showers but mostly manageable conditions.
Rain is nearly constant in Iceland — waterproof outerwear beats umbrellas due to extreme wind. Summer brings drier stretches but always carry a shell layer. Horizontal rain is the norm.
No. Probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm of rain falls at your location at some point in the period. Check the expected millimetres alongside it: 40% with 0.4mm is a passing shower, 40% with 12mm is a soaking.