Iceland volcano erupts on Reykjanes peninsula full video

After weeks of intense earthquake activity, a volcano has erupted on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula, prompting the evacuation of approximately 4,000 people from the nearby fishing town of Grindavik last month. The eruption commenced north of the town at 22:17 local time on Monday, as reported by the Icelandic Met Office.

Residents living close to Grindavik described witnessing “crazy” and “scary” scenes that night, with ongoing volcanic activity visible on Tuesday. The eruption is observable from Reykjavik, situated approximately 42km northeast of Grindavik. An eyewitness in the capital reported that half of the sky in the direction of the town was “lit up in red,” and smoke billowed into the air.

Iceland had been on alert for volcanic activity for weeks, with increased earthquake activity around the capital, Reykjavik, since late October. While experts don’t anticipate the eruption causing the same level of disruption as the 2010 event that halted European air travel, the Icelandic Met Office noted a decrease in the eruption’s power at 12:30 GMT on Tuesday. However, they cautioned that gases from the volcano could still be felt in Reykjavik on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning.