Volcano erupts again in Iceland, spewing lava and smoke

1/4/2025 19:17

A volcano erupted again to the south of Iceland's capital on Tuesday, spewing lava and smoke in a fiery display of orange and red that triggered some evacuations, although air traffic continued as normal.



Referred to as a land of ice and fire for its many glaciers and volcanoes, the North Atlantic island nation has now seen 11 eruptions south of Reykjavik since 2021, when dormant geological systems reactivated after some 800 years.



"Warning: An eruption has begun," the Icelandic meteorological office said in a statement.



Emergency services evacuated the nearby Blue Lagoon luxury spa as well as inhabitants from the fishing town of Grindavik in the hours ahead of the outbreak, as geologists had warned that the eruption was imminent, public broadcaster RUV reported.



The outbreaks on the Reykjanes peninsula so far have not directly affected the capital city and have not caused significant dispersal of ash into the stratosphere, avoiding air traffic disruption.