OSLO (Reuters) -The Reykjanes volcano in southwest Iceland erupted on Monday, spewing lava and smoke into the air, after weeks of intense earthquake exercise, the nation’s Meteorological Workplace mentioned.
Fearing a major outbreak on the Reykjanes peninsula, authorities final month evacuated the almost 4,000 inhabitants of the fishing city of Grindavik and closed the close by Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.
“Warning: Eruption has started north of Grindavik by Hagafell,” the Met Workplace mentioned on its web site.
Photographs and a livestream broadcast by Reuters confirmed molten rock spewing like fountains from fissures within the floor, their bright-yellow and orange colors set in sharp distinction towards the darkish evening sky.
Icelandic police mentioned that they had raised their alert stage on account of the outbreak and the nation’s civil defence warned the general public to not strategy the realm whereas emergency personnel assessed the scenario.
A coast guard helicopter was going to be within the air shortly to verify the precise location and measurement of the eruption, the Met Workplace mentioned.
Reykjavik’s worldwide airport, which is positioned close by, remained open.
“At the moment, there are no disruptions to arrivals or departures at Keflavík Airport,” it mentioned on its web site.
The Reykjanes peninsula lately noticed a number of eruptions in unpopulated areas, however the newest outbreak may pose a threat to the Grindavik city, authorities have mentioned.
The world had seen hundreds of earthquakes within the final two months however the magnitudes had declined in current week, main some specialists to suppose threat of an eruption had abated.
Reykjanes is a volcanic and seismic hot-spot southwest of the capital Reykjavik. In March 2021, lava fountains erupted spectacularly from a 500-750-metre-long (1,640-2,460-foot-long) fissure within the floor within the Fagradalsfjall volcanic system.
