"The record was registered on the Office's grounds between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm (1700 GMT). It's the hottest temperature recorded in Reykjavik" since measurements began in 1870, meteorologist Prausti Jonsson told AFP.

An automatic weather station in the capital also registered a temperature of 26.4 degrees, but these kinds of weather stations have only been in use for 15 years so no long-term comparison was possible.

The previous record for Reykjavik was 24.8 degrees, reached in 2004.

Jonsson attributed the unusually balmy temperatures on the North Atlantic island to warm winds blowing in from Europe. The mercury had however fallen on Thursday to 15 degrees Celsius (59 Fahrenheit) as chilly winds blew in from the sea.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Iceland is 30.5 degrees Celsius (86.9 F), observed on the east of the island in 1939.

Northern Europe is currently enjoying unusually warm temperatures, with Stockholm in Sweden hovering around 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) for the past week.

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