Stunning helicopter footage shows the volcano erupting on the island’s coast
A volcano that erupted in southwest Iceland on Monday has begun to weaken, although new vents may open in a short time, the country’s meteorological office said.
The volcanic eruption, which occurred on the Reykjanes Peninsula, came after weeks of earthquakes and violent tremors.
About 4,000 people were evacuated last month from the fishing town of Grindavik, which was threatened by the lava flow.
There were no reports of injuries, but there are fears that homes may be damaged.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office said on Tuesday evening that the eruption was “still weakening”, with aerial photographs showing three vents venting, down from the previous five.
Vents are openings in a volcano through which magma erupts or volcanic gases are emitted.
The Met Office said that as the eruption continues, “there is an increasing likelihood of further vents opening” along the original fracture, as well as north or south, and that the warning time for new vents “may be very short”. “.
It previously warned that pollution from the volcano could reach the capital Reykjavik, about 42 kilometers (26 miles) from Grindavik, although that did not happen until mid-morning on Wednesday.
Icelandic media reported that on Tuesday night, a man was rescued by helicopter after getting lost near the site of the volcanic eruption.
Authorities have warned people to stay away from the area, saying it is not a tourist attraction.
“Fear and wait”
In 2010, a volcanic eruption sent a plume of ash rising several kilometers into the atmosphere, disrupting air travel for several days in Europe.
Volcanologist Dr Evgenia Ilinskaya told the BBC on Tuesday that there would not be the same level of disturbance as in 2010, because these volcanoes in southwest Iceland “were not physically capable of generating the same ash clouds”.
Speaking from Iceland, Dr Ilinskaya, associate professor of volcanology at the University of Leeds, said locals were “fearing and waiting” for the eruption.
Also on Tuesday, Iceland’s Foreign Minister, Bjarne Benediktsson, said on X, previously Twitter, that “there are no disruptions to flights to and from Iceland, and international flight corridors will remain open.”
“Planes [of lava] “It’s very high, so it appears to be a strong eruption at first,” he said.
Image source, Anton Brink/EPA
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