Grindavik, Iceland – Lava flows into the Icelandic town of Grindavik have started to slow down, according to authorities on Monday. This comes after several houses were destroyed by fires caused by the volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula. The entire population of the town was evacuated, but luckily no casualties have been reported.
Defenses built after a previous eruption in December have partially contained the lava, but some barriers have been breached, allowing the lava to reach the town and ignite buildings. The main road into the town has also been cut off by the flow of lava.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) stated that although the barriers were breached in some places, there has been no disruption to domestic or international flights so far. The aviation color code for the Reykjanes peninsula was set to orange, indicating an ongoing eruption with no or minor ash emission.
The volcano eruption on Sunday is the fifth to occur along the Reykjanes peninsula since 2021. Volcanologist Evgenia Ilyinskaya warns that the peninsula may enter a period of frequent eruptions known as the New Reykjanes Fires, which could happen every few months or once a year for several decades or centuries.
Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir addressed the nation, calling the eruption a “black day for all of Iceland.” However, she expressed hope that Icelanders would stand together and deal with the shock. Iceland is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the boundary between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, which makes the country prone to volcanic activity. The Reykjanes peninsula alone has 33 active volcano systems.
The country’s alert level has been raised to “emergency,” indicating the potential threat of harm to people, communities, property, or the environment. It is clear that Iceland will continue to monitor and respond to the ongoing volcanic activity.