A volcano in southwestern Iceland has erupted for the fifth time in six months, with 50-metre high lava jets.
The background: People in the town of Grindavik and the nearby tourist site Blue Lagoon geothermal spa were evacuated before the latest eruption.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office said the start of the latest eruption “is more vigorous than in previous eruptions in the area”. The volcanic fissure is about 3.4 kilometres long.
The eruption began in the early afternoon north of Grindavik, a coastal town of 3,800 people that was also evacuated. Source: AAP / Birn Oddsson
The key quote: “It’s a much larger volume that’s on the move right now headed for town,” Grindavik Mayor Fannar Jonasso.
What else to know: Grindavik, which is about 50 kilometres southwest of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, has been threatened since earthquakes in November forced an evacuation before the initial
.
What happens next: The Coast Guard‘s surveillance flight is monitoring the impacts, but the Met Office says the volcanic cloud did not initially rise high enough to initially pose any threat to aviation.
It is unclear when volcanic activity will subside and what it means for the residents in the Reykjanes Peninsula, one of the few densely populated parts of Iceland.
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