A volcanic eruption began this afternoon in Iceland, in an uninhabited area nearly 30 kilometers from the capital Reykjavik where lava is erupting for the third time in two years.

The eruption occurred around 4:40 p.m. local time (7:40 p.m. Greek time) near a small mountain called Litli Hrutur, located a few kilometers from the sites of two previous eruptions that took place in 2021 and 2022 on the Reykjavík peninsula, southwest of Reykjavík, the Icelandic meteorological institute (IMO).

Images broadcast live by local media, which has been reeling from thousands of microquakes in the region in recent days, show a significant flow of lava that appears to be escaping from a fault, as well as smoke billowing from Little Hrutur. .

“The explosion occurred in a small hollow just north of Little Hruthur, with smoke coming out in a northwesterly direction,” the IMO explained.

Iceland’s civil protection service has urged citizens not to go to the area at this time, and for as long as it takes to assess the situation.

The diffuse explosions that have occurred so far in this area have proven to be not particularly dangerous, as they have not caused property damage or affected air traffic.

Instead, these eruptions impressed the hundreds of thousands of tourists and passers-by who went to see the lava flows during the two previous eruptions, which lasted six months and three weeks respectively.