Rok

By Gunnar Birgisson

The weather plays an oversized role in Icelandic life, much more so than in most other

places.  And when it comes to weather, the wind is a major player. 

In Iceland, the wind is such a constant element of life that people can be surprised when there’s a day without notable wind. The complete absence of wind, logn, can leave people baffled, as if their long-time nemesis had unexpectedly retreated, probably to prepare for a more vicious attack. 

Rok is just one type of strong wind. Others include hvassviðri and stinningskaldi. Each of these has a defined wind speed according to the official classifications of the Beaufort Wind Scale. Formally, rok (the equivalent of a gale or storm in English) consists of winds at 24.5-28.4 meters per second (55-63 miles per hour), the third strongest category of wind speed.

But meteorological definitions aside, Icelanders use the term rok more loosely when referring to strong winds. It’s a short, direct, blunt word. It basically means it's too darn windy.

Rok is a testy, fickle, angry wind. It may fade away for a few minutes, just enough to get your hopes up that it's gone, and then it returns and whips you around. Beware of opening your car door in the direction of the wind or wearing a loose hat.     

Like many things, this nasty wind has a sidekick, rain, rigning.  Rok og rigning.  A classic pair.  Like Romeo and Juliet, Laurel and Hardy, Xavi and Iniesta.

Any Icelander's memory includes lots of moments of dealing with rok, often when engaged in an activity that is ideally without any rok, like camping or playing outdoor sports. Tourists may experience rok through grains of black sand being blown into their hair in Reynisfjara or seeing a small waterfall being blown back into the air.

Experiencing rok, some tourists surely have questioned their decision to visit Iceland.  But it's an authentic Icelandic experience and more likely to be part of your stay than seeing the Northern Lights or a volcanic eruption.