After weeks of intense seismic activity, a volcano has erupted on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland.
Around 4,000 people have been evacuated from the fishing town of Grindavik, and the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa has also been closed.
The eruption began north of the town at 22:17 local time (22:17 GMT), according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office.
Experts say it won’t be as disruptive as in 2010, when air travel in Europe ground to a halt.
Seismic activity has been increasing in the area around the capital Reykjavik since late October.
The meteorological agency said the eruption was about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) northeast of Grindavik and that seismic activity was moving toward the town.
Images and videos posted on social media showed lava spewing from the volcano just an hour after the earthquake swarm, a series of seismic events, was detected.
The eruption can be seen from Reykjavik, about 42 kilometers northeast of Grindavik.
One witness told the BBC the eruption caused half of the sky in the direction of the town to “glow red” and smoke could be seen billowing into the air.
Police are warning people to stay away from the area.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the volcanic fissure is about 3.5 kilometers long, and lava is flowing at a speed of about 100 to 200 cubic meters per second.
This is many times more than previous eruptions on the Reykjanes peninsula in recent years, it added.
A senior civil defense police official told state broadcaster RUV that the eruption occurred quickly and appeared to be a “quite large-scale event”.
Vidir Reynisson said lava appeared to be pouring out in all directions from large cracks in the volcano.
“There are no disruptions to flights to and from Iceland and the international corridor remains open,” Icelandic Foreign Minister Bjarni Benediksson said on X (formerly Twitter).
“The jet planes [of lava] “It looks like it’s going to be a strong eruption initially because it’s pretty high,” he said.
The eruption was visible from Reykjavík, some 50 kilometers away, and the view was “very spectacular,” said Hargrimur Indrioasson, a reporter for state-run Icelandic Radio (RUV).
Iceland has been on high alert for weeks over a possible volcanic eruption, and last month authorities ordered people to leave Grindavik as a precaution.
There were no reports of injuries.
In April 2010, the volcanic ash cloud caused by the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano caused Largest European airspace closure since World War IIlosses are estimated at €1.5-2.5 billion (£1.3-2.2 billion, $1.6-2.7 billion).
Volcanologist Dr Evgenia Ilyinskaya told the BBC that the same level of disruption as in 2010 would not occur because these volcanoes in southwest Iceland are “physically unable to produce similar ash clouds”. Told.
The Eyjafjallajökull volcano in southern Iceland is approximately 140 km (87 miles) from the volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula.
Dr Ilyinskaya, an associate professor of volcanology at the University of Leeds, speaking from Iceland, said local residents had been “waiting with fear” for the volcano to erupt.
“There was a lot of uncertainty. It was a difficult time for local people,” she said.
She added that authorities were preparing for a lava flow that could destroy homes and infrastructure, including the Blue Lagoon, a popular tourist destination.
“It doesn’t appear to be a threat at this point, but we don’t know yet,” she said.
Iceland’s Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir said the recently built defenses would have a positive effect.
She said despite the “significant events” her thoughts were with the local community and she hoped for the best outcome.
President Gudni Johannesson said that while saving lives is the top priority, every effort will also be made to protect buildings.
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