Iceland volcano Sundhnúkur erupts as families and tourists evacuated
Families and tourists have been evacuated from towns - and a luxury hotel - as a volcano has erupted in Iceland again this morning.
Magma poured out of the Sundhnúkur volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula, near the fishing town of Grindavík,. The Icelandic Meteorological Office says the eruption - the volcano's ninth since December 2023 - happened in the early hours of this morning, Wednesday, July 16, after the mass evacuation.
The National Police Commissioner has decided, in consultation with the Police Commissioner in Suðurnes, to raise the Civil Protection alert level to the highest level as the likelihood of an eruption at the Sundhnúk crater has increased, reports the Mirror.
This was revealed in a statement from the Communications Director of Civil Protection. The earthquake cluster is located between Stóra-Skógfell and Sýlingarfell, and is in a similar area to the beginning of magma flows in previous events, like April this year.
The Blue Lagoon Iceland - a five-star hotel resort popular with Brit holidymakers - and a local campsite were evacuated, as was most of the town of Grindavík. Local media reports cops are driving around town, to check on local residents and encourage them to leave their homes in case of an eruption.
But when the same volcano erupted in April, some stubborn residents refused to leave their homes. Authorities pleaded with them to do so for their own safety.
Gas pollution is spreading from the eruption sites to the northwest towards Vogar and Reykjanesbraut, where locals are asked to close windows and regularly monitor the air quality on the Icelandic Meteorological Office website. Pollution forecasts can also be viewed on the site.
Experts say the fissure is between 700 and 1000 metres wide and does not appear to be getting longer as the lava flow appears to be most concentrated to the southeast.
Benedikt Ófeigsson, a geophysicist and head of deformation measurements at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, has moved to reassure communities - but said things could change quickly.
He said: "This is not a major event at the moment. It's a small volume and we're not seeing any signs that the tremors are getting shallower, as things stand now.
"There is always some seismic activity, but nothing extreme, it hasn't been particularly increasing."
Ms Sigurðardóttir, the natural hazard expert at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, says the location of the eruption is favorable as the eruption will not threaten any infrastructure and is far away from Grindavík town.
There is only a possibility that lava flows from the eruption could damage the Grindavík road near Stora-Skógfell, but only if the eruption lasts a long time.
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