Fountains of lava and ash have blanketed Iceland’s Reykjavik peninsula since the volcano erupted yesterday (19/12) in the region, following weeks of intense seismic activity.

The Icelandic Meteorological Service said the lava spewed from a crack in the earth’s surface that was about 3.5 km long.

It is the fourth eruption in the region since 2021 and the largest to date, says the government of Iceland in its announcement.

The town of Grindavik had been evacuated in recent days, carrying nearly 4,000 people as fears of an explosion intensified.

According to skynews there have been several eruptions in uninhabited areas on the peninsula in recent years but the current eruption is believed to pose an immediate threat to the city.

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“Seismic activity together with measurements from GPS devices show that the magma moves to the southwest and the eruption may continue in the direction of Grindavik,” the Icelandic Meteorological Service said.

Vidir Reynisson, head of Iceland’s civil protection and emergency management, said: “The magma flow seems to be at least a hundred cubic meters per second, maybe more” and added “So a big eruption is expected in this area.”

This particular city is particularly popular because it is about seven kilometers from the famous Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.