Advice for Brits with Iceland holidays booked as hotspot issues volcano warning

13 November 2023 , 12:39

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A state of emergency has been declared in Iceland as a large volcano threatens to erupt and destroy a town.

The entire town of Grindavik may be obliterated if and when the Fagradalsfjall volcano blows, which looks to be imminent. All 3,000 residents of the town were evacuated yesterday, with a few allowed back in to save treasured possessions and pets this morning.

Lava has been bubbling up aggressively from a fissure in the ground close to the the southwestern town, which has seen a large crack form down one of its roads and gaping holes appear in the earth following several tremors.

If the volcano does erupt, there are fears it could be worse than the Vestmannaeyjar eruption 50 years ago which destroyed the town, volcanologist Ármann Höskuldsson told state broadcaster RUV. The Icelandic Meteorological Office has said there is a “considerable” risk of an eruption.

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A view of the eruption back in 2021 (Twitter)

Thorvaldur Thordarson, professor of volcanology at the University of Iceland, told RUV “I don’t think it’s long before an eruption, hours or a few days. The chance of an eruption has increased significantly."

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Those who have trips booked to Iceland over the coming days will be grappling with whether to cancel or move their trips. The UK Foreign Office has not advised against travelling to the country, but has suggested avoiding the south west corner of Iceland may be wise.

A spokesperson for British Airways told the Mirror: "Our flights are operating as planned and we continue to monitor the situation closely. We will be in touch with customers directly should the situation change." An easyJet spokesperson added: "Our flying schedule is currently operating as normal however we are monitoring the situation closely and should this change we will contact customers directly to advise on their flights."

As there is no Foreign Office advice against travelling, those who want to cancel their flights to Iceland are unlikely to get a refund, unless they have comprehensive travel insurance or bought a flexi-ticket. If the volcano does erupt, it is unlikely that it will close Iceland's airports for a long period.

It's also worth noting that if you choose not to go on holiday, you may be subject to a cancellation fee, so check the terms of your holiday booking. If you're really unsure about travelling it's worth getting in touch with your airline and hotel - since Covid many have flexible booking policies so it may be that you're able to rebook to a later date, although it will depend again on the terms of your booking.

The situation is very different to the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption, when air travel across much of Europe was stopped for a week. The disruption was so extensive because the blast of lava was cooled by a glacier atop the volcano, which turn the dust cloud into tiny fragments that posed a threat to aircraft. Lava from Fagradalsfjall is much more likely to remain on the ground.

Caitlin McLean, from Scotland, was one of the 3,000 residents who was evacuated this weekend. She was visiting her boyfriend, Gisli Gunnarsson, in Grindavik when they were forced to flee his home at midnight on Friday, packing only a few essential items, to stay with Mr Gunnarsson's mother in Reykjavik.

Ms McLean, 34, captured the moment the furniture and light fixtures shook violently in Mr Gunnarsson's home on Friday. "At around four on Friday, (the earthquakes) just started being non-stop. Just constant big quakes for hours," Mr Gunnarsson, 29, said.

The music composer, who was born and raised in Grindavik, described the situation as "grim". He said: "First and foremost, the thought that you might never see your home town ever again, that's tough. We all rushed out of (Grindavik) so quickly, in a matter of hours, so we didn't really think at the time that might possibly be the last time we see our home, so that's been difficult. It's a pretty grim situation at the moment."

Ms McLean has urged volcano enthusiasts to avoid the area and "be respectful" to people whose homes have been affected. She said: "I would definitely say there's been quite a lot of people wanting to fly over (to Iceland), like people that are interested in volcanoes and lava.

"They're trying to keep tourists away because there's been people already trying to fly drones over the town. I understand for a lot of people this is a big spectacle, but these people are losing their homes potentially, so just to be respectful."