Watch: Iceland volcano erupts after thousands evacuated

Your support helps us to tell the story

Support Now

Find out moreClose

Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.

Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.

Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.

Louise Thomas

Editor

Watch as a volcano in southwest Iceland finally erupts on Tuesday, 19 December, after weeks of intense earthquake activity.

“Warning: Eruption has started north of Grindavíkby Hagafell,” the country’s Met Office said on its website.

The eruption began a few kilometres from the fishing town, whose nearly 4,000 inhabitants were evacuated last month.

Authorities also closed the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.

Reykjavik’s nearby Keflavik International Airport remained open, albeit with numerous delays at both arrivals and departures.

This live feed shows molten rock spewing from fissures in the ground, in bright yellow and orange colours contrasting against the night sky.

The Icelandic Met Office said the crack in the earth’s surface was around 3.5 km long and had grown rapidly.

“Seismic activity together with measurements from GPS devices indicate that the magma is moving to the southwest and the eruption may continue in the direction of Grindavik,” it added.