Iceland volcano erupts, Blue Lagoon and village evacuated

It was the ninth eruption to hit the region in 18 months, but before 2021, volcanoes on the Reykjanes peninsula had not erupted for eight centuries.

Lava and smoke erupting from a volcano near Grindavik on the Icelandic peninsula of Reykjanes. Picture: Public Defense Department of the State Police / AFP

One of Iceland’s most popular tourist destinations, Blue Lagoon spa, has been evacuated after a volcano erupted Wednesday spewing lava and smoke.

The eruption began about 4am (2pm AEST) following an intense seismic swarm on the Reykjanes Peninsula, southwest of the capital, Reykjavik, Iceland’s Met Office said.

It was the ninth eruption to hit the region since the end of 2023.

Live video feeds showed lava spewing out of a fissure in the ground, with broadcaster RUV reporting that the nearby fishing village Grindavik had been evacuated, as had the Blue Lagoon thermal spa.

When the first volcanic eruption first hit the area in late 2023, most of Grindavik’s 4000 residents were evacuated.

The nearby fishing village Grindavik had been evacuated, as had the Blue Lagoon, Iceland's famed tourist spot. Picture: Icelandic Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management /AFP

Since then, almost all of the houses have been sold to the state, and most of the residents have left.

Volcanoes on the Reykjanes peninsula had not erupted for eight centuries when in March 2021 a period of heightened seismic activity began.

Volcanologists have warned in recent years that volcanic activity in the region had entered a new era.

RUV said the latest eruption was not expected to impact international flights. A volcanic eruption in another part of Iceland in 2010 caused worldwide travel chaos as the ash spewed into the atmosphere sparked airspace closures in Europe.

Iceland is home to 33 active volcanic systems, more than any other European country.

It is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a fault in the ocean floor that separates the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates and causes earthquakes and eruptions.

AFP, AP