Volcano erupts in southwest Iceland
Nearby towns and tourist destinations have been evacuated, but the eruption is not expected to disrupt international flights
The volcano, on the Reykjanes peninsula, began erupting at approximately 22:17 local time on Monday, 4km northeast of the town of Grindavik.
It follows several weeks’ higher than average earthquake activity in the region – a common prelude to a volcanic eruption. Consequently, many precautions were already in place, and there have been no reports of injuries as of 19 December.
Approximately 4,000 people have been evacuated from Grindavik, and the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa – a popular local tourist destination – has been closed.
Police have warned the public to stay away from the affected area, with lava believed to be flowing in all directions from the volcano, at a rate of around 100 to 200 cubic metres per second.
However, while the eruption is relatively large, it is not expected to cause the same level of international disruption as 2010’s Eyjafjallajokull eruption, which caused major disruption to European air travel.
Furthermore, Bjarni Benediktsson, Iceland’s Foreign Minister, has confirmed in a statement that ‘there are no disruptions to flights to and from Iceland, and international flight corridors remain open’.
Catania Airport in Sicily was forced to ground flights earlier this year after volcano Mount Etna erupted in May.