The Sunddhnúksgígar volcano in Iceland erupted this morning, sending lava flying and raising fears for tourists at a nearby hotspot who have been evacuated for their safety
The Sunddhnúksgígar volcano in Iceland has erupted as a lava flow threatens nearby homes and businesses, sparking huge evacuations for residents and tourists in the area.
Experts had warned of increased seismic activity in recent weeks, indicating pressure at the eruption site was increasing before this morning's eruption. Hours earlier the popular Blue Lagoon - where visitors can relax in the geothermic waters of the spa - had been evacuated and people in the town of Grindavík were told to leave their homes as they suffered several earthquakes. Runólfur Þórhallsson, director of the Civil Protection Department, said the fissure had opened close to the town in a "dark scenario".
He told Visir: "This is one of the darker scenarios we've been looking at lately. This is similar in many ways to the eruption in January 2024 and the sequence of events that was going on then. That's the situation. It seems to be expanding little by little in both directions, and that's just the current situation."
In its latest update, The Icelandic Met Office said in an update: "An eruption has started just north of the protective barrier near Grindavík. The fissure is now about 500 meters long and has reached through the protective barrier north of Grindavík. The fissure continues to grow, and it cannot be ruled out that it may continue to open further south.
"A Coast Guard helicopter will take off shortly to confirm the exact location and size of the eruption. The length of the magma intrusion under the Sundhnúkur crater row that has already formed is about 11 km, which is the longest measured since November 11, 2023.
"Given the current wind direction, gas pollution from the eruption will be carried northeast toward the capital area. It is not possible to predict the intensity of the pollution."
Today's drama started at around 6.30am when "an earthquake swarm began" on the Sundhnúks Crater Row, close to Sýlingarfell and Stóra-Skógfell. It added in an update: "The signs that are visible show the magma is moving both to the northeast and also to the south towards Grindavík. At this stage it is not possible to say where the magma will emerge, but the shift of deformation signs to the south was not seen, for example, in the eruption that began in November 2024.
"Responders in Grindavík say they are feeling earthquakes in the town and there are also signs of deformation, making it possible cracking could be occurring within the town."
The five-star resort Blue Lagoon evacuated its 200 guests this morning in around 40 minutes amid concerns for their safety. Helga Árnadóttir, Blue Lagoon's sales, marketing and development manager said: "Guests are actually arriving or on their way to another hotel and employees are going home. This went well, just like before."
Residents of the nearby town of Grindavík were also advised to leave their homes as a result of the ongoing incident. Úlfar Lúðvíksson, the police chief in Suðurnes, told Vísir some people have refused to heed the warning. One even threatened officers with a firearm, before he was arrested for "unwanted behavior." The chief said: "There are some who don't want to leave. We are not going to force people to leave, but we are making these people aware of the situation."
