Iceland volcano erupts after weeks of earthquakes
- Volcanic eruption started Monday night on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula, south of the capital Reykjavik
- Eruptions are not uncommon in the Nordic country, which is home to 33 active volcano systems
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Volcano erupts in Iceland after weeks of earthquake activity
A volcano in Iceland was erupting on Tuesday, with geysers of molten lava shooting into the pitch-black night sky after weeks of seismic activity had the region southwest of the capital on high alert.
The eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula, just north of the fishing town Grindavik, began Monday at around 10.17pm after an earthquake swarm, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said, referring to a series of small shakes.
Live-streamed footage of the eruption showed glowing orange jets of lava spewing from a gash in the ground, surrounded by billowing clouds of red smoke.
“We hope for the best but it is clear this is a considerable eruption,” Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir wrote on Facebook.
For weeks, the Nordic country had been anticipating an eruption on the peninsula southwest of the capital after intense earthquake activity, which prompted authorities to evacuate thousands of people and close the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa famed for its turquoise waters.
