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CBS News
01-04-2025
- CBS News
Iceland volcano erupts, forcing evacuation of nearby Grindavik and Blue Lagoon tourist destination
A volcano began erupting in southwest Iceland on Tuesday, just hours after authorities evacuated a nearby community and the Blue Lagoon spa, one of Iceland's biggest tourist attractions. Flames and smoke shot through the air as the volcanic fissure opened near the town of Grindavik, where some 40 homes were evacuated, national broadcaster RUV reported. The community, located on the Reykjanes Peninsula, was largely evacuated a year ago when the volcano came to life after lying dormant for 800 years. Webcams showed molten rock spewing out toward the community. Sirens sounded in Grindavik while the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa was also evacuated. The lagoon draws hundreds of thousands of tourists annually, including large school groups from across the world who come to study Iceland's dynamic geology. "The fissure is now about 500 meters (yards) long and has reached through the protective barrier north of Grindavík,'' Iceland's Met Office said in a statement. "The fissure continues to grow, and it cannot be ruled out that it may continue to open further south.'' The magma flow began at about 6:30 a.m. local time (1:30 a.m. eastern) accompanied by an intense earthquake swarm similar to previous eruptions, the Icelandic Met Office said. Iceland sits above a volcanic hot spot in the North Atlantic. The most disruptive incident in recent times was the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano , which spewed clouds of ash into the atmosphere and disrupted transatlantic air travel for months. Iceland saw at least seven volcanic eruptions during 2024 near Grindavik, leading to the evacuation of the town. After the seventh eruption, people were evacuated from about 50 homes in the fishing village, according to the country's Civil Protection Agency . Iceland is home to 33 active volcanic systems, more than any other European country. It is situated on top of a rift between two tectonic plates, which makes the island nation vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions .
Euronews
14-03-2025
- Euronews
Earthquakes in Naples: Is it safe to travel to southern Italy?
An area of southern Italy near Naples has been experiencing a surge in seismic activity over the last few days. Campi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields) is a volcanic caldera near Naples, Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii. The volatile landscape was shaken by a 4.4 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday night which, together with a tremor in May, was the strongest in 40 years. In May, hundreds of residents and the inmates of a women's prison in the seaside town of Pozzuoli were evacuated and schools were closed. Residents have been warned that evacuations may be enforced again if the seismic activity continues. The government has earmarked €500 million for evacuations and safety interventions such as strengthening buildings. If you are visiting Naples or the surrounding area, here's what you need to know. The Campi Flegrei is an active volcanic crater and the largest of its kind in Europe. The last major eruption of the supervolcano was in 1538. Now, a buildup of magma or gases beneath the surface is causing an uptick in seismic activity. The area experiences a phenomenon known as bradyseism, where the ground rises and falls due to under-surface pressure. Though scientists say another eruption soon is unlikely, many of the roughly 500,000 people who live in the red zone directly adjacent to the Campi Flegrei say they live in constant anxiety. The Campi Flegrei lie around 20 kilometres from Naples. The southern Italian city has been feeling the tremors but there have been no casualties and or major damage to buildings. Vesuvius and the archaeological park of Pompeii are also close to the volcanic crater. The red zone, where residents would be evacuated in the event of an eruption, includes the towns of Pozzuoli and Bacoli. Some suburbs of Naples also lie in the red zone including Chiaia and Vomero. The rest of Naples lies in the yellow zone - areas at risk of significant volcanic ash falls during an eruption - while Vesuvius and Pompeii lie outside. In May, the UK's Foreign Office updated its advice for travel to southern Italy. 'There are several active volcanoes in southern Italy. National emergency planning has been updated for Vesuvius as well as the Phlegraean fields, an area that remains active and which has experienced tremors in 2024.' It advises travellers to follow the instructions of the local authorities in the event of an eruption. If you are planning on visiting red or yellow zones, make sure you stay updated with the latest information on the Civil Protection Agency website. Their instructions on how to prepare for volcanic activity including lava falls, volcanic bombs and mudslides can be found here. So far there have not been any evacuations, but they could happen. The Italian government has put aside €500 million for evacuations and safety interventions such as strengthening buildings. In May, Italy's Civil Protection Department ran a series of planned seismic evacuation tests in the area. The tests involved residents of Pozzuoli and Bagnoli, and simulated a 'type-3 situation' – the worst possible scenario in the event of an earthquake. A new fleet of TGV trains is set to hit the rails in France and the first images of their stylish interiors have been released. The TGV INOUI (previously called TGV-M) series is the fifth generation of the trains produced for national rail operator SNCF by manufacturer Alstom, and they will begin carrying passengers at the start of 2026. They will start circulating on the Paris-Lyon-Marseille route - the busiest high-speed line in the country - before being phased in across the rest of the network. The redesign includes a two-storey bar, extra legroom and improved access for disabled passengers. The new trains will have an extra carriage increasing capacity by up to 20 per cent compared to the current models - or a maximum of 740 passengers per train. Access for disabled travellers has been improved thanks to a dedicated coach with wheelchair-friendly facilities like a lift between its two floors and 'service at-the-seat' catering. Passengers with a 5G-compatible mobile contract will benefit from improved connectivity and stronger WiFi. There will be fewer doors dividing carriages, making it easier for passengers to keep an eye on their suitcases on luggage racks while they travel. These new trains will also be 20 per cent more energy-efficient due to their aerodynamic design, which will result in CO2 savings of 50 per cent compared with single-deck high-speed trains, SNCF says. A bonus emissions saving for anyone looking to travel by high-speed rail to avoid a short haul flight. On top of their aerodynamic, emissions-cutting design, the new fleet is made from 25 per cent recycled materials which will be 97 per cent recyclable, according to SNCF, making it the high-speed train with the lowest carbon footprint on the market. The interiors are the result of a collaboration between designers from the French agency AREP and the Japanese agency Nendo. The concept of the project was 'flow', and the designers 'played with the idea of depth inside, with a strong horizon line running through all the elements and giving the impression of the surface of water.' The details of the seats and the striking yellow table lamps draw inspiration from the soft shapes of pebbles and objects polished by water. Standard class seats now have individual plug sockets (currently one is shared between two passengers), a mini table, and up to 5cm of extra legroom. Seats in first class are 5cm wider, allowing you to place small personal belongings beside you, and have wrap-around, height-adjustable headrests and electric seat recline. One of the most exciting developments is the major redesign of the fleet's bar carriage. Named Le Bistro, its lower floor is given over to self-service fridges, coffee machines and microwaves with payment via self-service terminals. The upper storey is designed as a 'convivial' space for sit-down dining with seats for up to 28 passengers. The menu will feature typical French bistro dishes. 65 per cent of suppliers are French and 100 per cent of the meat on the menu is of French origin. There will be three different seasonal menus during the year and each will include a 'dish of the month'.
Local Italy
13-03-2025
- Climate
- Local Italy
Naples and Campi Flegrei rocked by strong 4.4-magnitude quake
The quake hit at 1.25am and had its epicentre on the coastline east of Pozzuoli, at a depth of 2.5 kilometres, according to Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV). It was followed by a series of smaller tremors in what experts described as a "seismic swarm". Italy's Civil Protection Agency said on social media platform X that 'initial checks' carried out by officers on the ground reported 'minor damage' to local infrastructure and 'one injured person' following the collapse of a suspended ceiling. Italian news agency Ansa identified the injured person as a woman living in Bagnoli, a seaside district west of Naples. Ansa said the woman 'sustained some abrasions' and was immediately assisted by fire service officers. Dozens of people in Naples spent the night on the streets or in their cars after the earthquake shook the city. Italy's Civil Protection Agency reportedly responded to hundreds of calls from residents in the hours following the quake. Schools in the towns of Pozzuoli, Bacoli and Bagnoli were set to remain closed on Thursday as a precautionary measure, local authorities said. Bacoli Mayor Josi Gerardo Della Ragione urged residents to "remain calm" and contact local authorities for all the latest updates. The quake on Thursday came a little over a month after the same area was struck by two 3.9-magnitude quakes within hours of each other in early February. The Campi Flegrei is a volcanic caldera – a large, basin-like depression that forms when a volcano collapses into itself, usually following a major eruption. The volcano last erupted in 1538. The region, which is home to around half a million people, has experienced intense seismic activity over the past two years due to a phenomenon known as 'bradyseism' – the slow, vertical movement of the Earth's surface due to changes in the volume of magma and hot gases. It was hit by a 4.2-magnitude quake – the strongest in four decades – in September 2023. This was followed by a 4.0-magnitude quake in early October 2023. There were no reports of injuries in both cases.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Yahoo
Watch: Lava meets snow as skiers take on Mount Etna's fiery slopes
SICILY, Italy – Talk about fire and ice – Italian style. Dramatic video captured professional skiers carving down the snowy slopes of Mount Etna on the eastern coast of Sicily at night, as molten lava flowed from the volcano's crater. Watch: Hikers Walk In Snow As Italy's Mount Etna Erupts In Background Dario Teri of Etna Summit Craters captured the unique footage last Tuesday in Catania, noting that Etna is one of the few volcanoes where skiing is possible "near a lava field." The skiers adhered to strict safety protocols throughout their daring adventure, Teri added. The video reveals breathtaking scenes of smoke billowing into the night sky as fiery lava meets the snow and vegetation below. The volcanic activity has been connected to recent earthquakes in the surrounding area. How To Watch Fox Weather Despite the spectacle, local media reports that Italy's Civil Protection Agency has urged sightseers to stay away from the lava flow zone due to safety article source: Watch: Lava meets snow as skiers take on Mount Etna's fiery slopes
Local Italy
17-02-2025
- Climate
- Local Italy
Naples and Campi Flegrei shaken by two 3.9-magnitude quakes
The first quake hit at 3.30pm on Sunday and had its epicentre in the Gulf of Pozzuoli, at a depth of two kilometres, according to Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV). It had been preceded by two overnight tremors of lower intensity at 3.53am and 4.30am respectively. The second 3.9 quake hit at 12.19am on Monday and was located five kilometres east of the town of Pozzuoli, at a depth of around two kilometres, the INGV said. It was followed by a number of smaller earthquakes commonly known as 'aftershocks'. Italy's Civil Protection Agency said on social media platform X that there were no immediate reports of damage in the affected area, but checks were ongoing on Monday morning. Naples city councillor Edoardo Cosenza told Il Corriere della Sera that "no structural damage was reported by Civil Protection technicians" following a series of inspections carried out overnight. Both quakes were felt distinctly across the entire Campi Flegrei area and in Naples, causing many frightened residents to run out into the streets. "[The earthquake] was long, almost endless. It felt like it was pushing us horizontally," Lucia, a resident in Naples' Vomero neighbourhood, told La Repubblica after the first quake on Sunday afternoon. 'It was the strongest I've felt so far; [...] we were really scared," said Valeria, who lives in Bacoli, around 15 kilometres west of Naples. Schools in Pozzuoli, a town of around 76,000 inhabitants located just west of Naples, were set to remain closed on Monday, according to a statement by town hall officials cited by Italian news agency Adnkronos. "As a precautionary measure, teaching activities in all public and private schools of all levels are suspended [...] until further notice to allow for inspections by municipal technical staff aimed at verifying any potential damage resulting from the various seismic events," the statement said. The Campi Flegrei is an active volcanic caldera – a large, basin-like depression that forms when a volcano collapses into itself, usually following a major eruption. The volcano last erupted in 1538. The region, which is home to around half a million people, has experienced intense seismic activity over the past two years. It was hit by a 4.2-magnitude quake – the strongest in four decades – in September 2023. This was followed by a 4.0-magnitude quake in early October 2023. There were no reports of injuries or damage in both cases. Several 'seismic swarms'– series of small tremors that occur over a short period of time – have shaken the Campi Flegrei in recent months, raising fears of an imminent eruption. Italian scientists have previously said that an eruption is unlikely in the near future. Mauro Antonio Di Vito, the head of INGV's Vesuvius Observatory, said in September that 'there are no imminent signs of an eruption'. That said, 'the continuous accumulation of magma and the increasing pressure underground represent a risk that should not be ignored," he added.
