Watch live as Iceland volcano magma spews with huge lava pools covering town

08 February 2024 , 12:06

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The volcano near the town of Grindavik (Image: Almannavarnadeildar ríkislögreglustjóra.)

A live video stream showing how magma is flowing towards and through an evacuated town in Iceland after volcano erupted, is being broadcast.

The eruption began at Sundhnúk shortly before 6am local time today and locals reported it looked bigger than before. It is the third time the volcano has erupted in the last three months.

The Norwegian Meteorological Agency said a three-kilometre (1.8 mile) crack from the volcanic eruption had been spotted on Thursday near the eastern end of Stora Skogfell, north of Grindavik. It has lead to fears a long-dormant fault line running under the country has woken up, leading to concerns it could now erupt for years ahead.

People are filling up their vehicles at a petrol station as lava and billowing smoke pours out of a fissure (AFP via Getty Images)

Dramatic photographs show the latest eruption visible across western Iceland, with the smoke and bright orange glow from the lava illuminating the dark winter skies above the capital of Reykjavik. The live webcam footage closer to the scene shows a constant lava flow running from the Þorbjörn mountain throughout the morning.

Sirens blared loudly around 6am in the deserted town of Grindavik, which is the closest major settlement to the volcano. It has recently been beset by evacuation chaos, with 4,000 people forced to relocate after thousands of earthquakes ripped the town apart.

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Lava is spewing out (Almannavarnadeildar ríkislögreglustjóra.)

Announcing the latest eruption, Icelandic authorities said on Thursday: "An eruption has started on the Reykjaness Peninsula. Increased seismic activity was observed at 05:40 this morning, and it was a magma run, according to the Norwegian Meteorological Agency.

"Then at 6 this morning, another eruption began in the Sundhnúks crater series, north of Sýlingarfell. Earlier, the announcement by the Norwegian Meteorological Agency stated that a magma flow had begun and there was an increased chance of an eruption at Sundhnúks crater.”

The first eruption took place in December before Christmas and the second in January, which saw lava reach homes on the outskirts of the abandoned fishing town.

Kelly-Ann Mills