On Saturday, a state of emergency was declared in southern Iceland as another volcanic eruption rocked the Reykjanes Peninsula, a little over 80 km southwest of the capital Reykjavík. Notably, this is the fourth such eruption in the region since December 2023.
Residents of the small town of Grindavik were asked to shift as ongoing flare-ups continued to create havoc in the area.
The Blue Lagoon, the popular tourist attraction has been evacuated as a precautionary measure. A massive lava spill is generating smoke, creating a spectacle for onlookers.
The eruption started after 20:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Saturday, between Hagafell and Stora-Scogfell, north of Grindavik, as per the Iceland’s civil defence service.
This eruption occurred at the site of the eruption of 8 December. Footage capturing the volcanic eruption shows clouds of smoke and molten magma flowing and bubbling from vents in the earth’s surface.
The Icelandic Meteorological Agency reported ‘A brief lead-up to the eruption and indicated that initial assessments suggest a comparable volume of magma to that of December’s event’.
However, the agency cautioned that expected adverse weather conditions could hinder monitoring to some degree.
While Keflavik International Airport and other regional airports remain unaffected, the closure of the Blue Lagoon will continue until further notice as a safety precaution. Iceland’s airspace remains open.
However, 4,000 residents of Grindavik were only been allowed to return to their homes after an eruption in January, which resulted in magma infiltrating the town and destroying three homes.
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