Lava sprays everywhere after Icelandic volcano erupts ‘without warning’

The huge eruption appeared to happen 'without warning'.

Mar 16, 2024 - 23:00
0 6
Lava sprays everywhere after Icelandic volcano erupts ‘without warning’
With essentially no warning, a new eruption has started just minutes ago on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula (Picture: RUV)
With essentially no warning, a new eruption has started just minutes ago on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula (Picture: RUV)

A volcano in Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula has suddenly erupted without warning, sending huge fountains of lava blasting hundreds of feet into the air.

The volcanic blast is the latest in a series of eruptions which have been rocking the peninsula since December.

An eruption last occurred near Sýlingarfell on February 8, although volcanic activity appeared to have dropped off sharply since then and the tourist board had advised visitors it was once again safe to visit the area.

Iceland’s Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management announced it had sent a helicopter to narrow down the exact location of the new fissure.

TOPSHOT - This handout picture released by the Galapagos Ecological Airport shows the eruption of La Cumbre volcano in the tourist archipelago of Galapagos (1,000 km from the mainland), Ecuador on March 3, 2024. The La Cumbre volcano on the uninhabited Fernandina Island, in the Ecuadorian Galapagos archipelago, erupted again, the state Geophysical Institute reported on Sunday. On Saturday night,
Volcanoes have been erupting in the region since December (Picture: AFP)

The latest eruption appears to be in the same location as the first and third, according to experts.

It is the seventh time the volcano has erupted in three years.

‘Warning: An eruption began in Reykjanes,’ the Icelandic Meteorological Office said on its website, while Reykjavik’s nearby Keflavik Airport’s website showed it remained open both for departures and arrivals.

Local media reports that residents of the nearby fishing town of Grindavik had been evacuated from the area, having received text messages telling them to leave just minutes earlier.

With essentially no warning (as was possible) a new eruption has started just minutes ago on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula.
It is the seventh time the volcano has erupted in three years (Picture: RUV)

The roughly 4,000 residents of Grindavik had only been cleared to return to their homes on February 19 after having been evacuated on November 11.

Volcanic outbreaks in the Reykjanes peninsula are the result of so-called fissure eruptions, which do not usually cause large explosions or significant dispersal of ash into the stratosphere.

However, scientists fear they could continue for decades, and Icelandic authorities have started building dykes to divert burning lava flows away from homes and critical infrastructure.

This is a developing news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.

Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected]. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.