Tourists have been flocking to catch a glimpse of the new 4 km fissure that has opened up on the Reykjanes Peninsula. A volcano in Iceland has erupted for the sixth time in three months, spewing red lava through a 4 kilometre fissure on the Reykjanes Peninsula. The eruption began shortly after 9 pm local time (11 pm CEST) last night (22 August) following a series of strong earthquakes and within the hour, a 4-kilometre fissure cut through the Sundhnúkur crater.
Halldór Björnsson, head of weather and climate at the Norwegian Meteorological Agency, told the Icelandic news portal Vísir that unlike previous eruptions, the lava flow is not heading for the town of Grindavik that was largely evacuated in December when the volcano came to life after being dormant for 800 years. Roads around the volcano have been closed to protect people from toxic gas fumes. Visitors have been evacuated from the Blue Lagoon thermal spa, one of Iceland’s top tourist attractions, and it remains closed.
Despite lying just 20 km north of the eruption site, Keflavik International Airport - Iceland's main international airport - remains open and flights are still arriving and departing. If you are planning on travelling to or from the affected area, here are the full details on advice from European governments and airlines. The Icelandic Meteorological Office updated the public on the Reykjanes in the early hours of this morning.
This eruption does not appear to be as intense as recent activity. .