Iceland saw a record-breaking temperature of 19.8°C in the town of Seyðisfjörður on Christmas Eve, the Icelandic Meteorological Office confirmed. This is a striking jump from usual December temperatures, which average between -1°C and 4°C. Another warm spot, Bakkagerði in eastern Borgarfjörður, recorded 19.7°C on the same day. The previous temperature record for December was 19.7°C, set on 2 December 2019 in Kvískerjar, Öræfi. Meteorologist Birgir Örn Höskuldsson told RÚV news that this year's heat was driven by warm, tropical air trapped by a strong high-pressure system, blocking colder air. Iceland is heating quickly due to global warming caused by burning fossil fuels and greenhouse gases. Earlier in the year, May saw heatwaves, with temperatures 3°C to 4°C above normal. Almost all weather stations set new May highs, with the peak reaching 26.6°C at Egilsstaðir airport. The warming has also impacted local wildlife. For the first time, mosquitoes were found in Iceland, one of the last places on Earth without them until now. Experts warn that rising Arctic temperatures, which increase four times faster than elsewhere, are causing glaciers to collapse and warm-water fish like mackerel to appear in Icelandic waters.