Latest travel advice for Iceland as Grindavik volcano erupts
After much anticipation, a volcano in southwest Iceland, near the town of Grindavik has finally erupted.
There were fears that the eruption could cause a similar level of disruption to flights as the major eruption in 2010.
However, scientists do not believe this eruption will have much impact on flights and currently the majority of planes are departing and arriving as normal.
Iceland’s foreign minister, Bjarne Benediktsson, said on X there are “no disruptions to flights to and from Iceland and international flight corridors remain open”.
A volcanologist, Robin George Andrews, told BBC Breakfast the eruption was “extremely unlikely” to cause the same impacts as 2010.
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He said: “To get the sort of ash cloud we saw in 2010, you need to erupt a lot of lava on to an ice sheet that colds it really quickly and creates ash.
“It is much more of a local hazard this time. There is no indication at present it would cause any big, sustained ash column. For anyone getting on planes, I don’t think there is anything to worry about.”
The country’s main airport, Keflavik, was closed for just an hour to assess the danger to air travel.
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The Icelandic Government has said the eruption presents “no threat to life” and the town of Grindavik has already been evacuated as a precaution.
However, people are strongly advised against visiting the site of the eruption while scientists assess the situation.
Despite reopening just one day ago, the country’s famous Blue Lagoon has been closed again as a precaution.
A spokesperson said: “A volcanic eruption commenced on the evening of December 18. As a result, we have temporarily closed our facilities. All guests with confirmed bookings in the upcoming days will be contacted.”
Scientists are currently using a helicopter to observe the eruption which has been expected for several weeks.
The crack in the earth’s surface is almost 3.5km long but the eruption is not currently expected to impact flights.
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