Fagradalsfjall Volcano disrupts life on Reykjanes Peninsula as Island's authorities declare state of emergency

Iceland, a Nordic country nestled in the northern section of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, is highly geologically active due to its placement on a rift between tectonic plates. Consequently, its residents are frequently susceptible to natural disasters such as earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.

The Fagradalsfjall Volcano, situated in the southwestern region of Iceland, erupted on Thursday, February 8. The resultant lava flow interrupted hot water and heating supplies, impacting both domestic households and Keflavik Airport. The brooding orange glow of the eruption was even visible from the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik.

This is not the first time that Iceland's Fagradalsfjall Volcano has erupted. The last significant eruption took place on December 18, 2023. On that occasion, the country's authorities made the decision to evacuate the inhabitants of the town of Grindavik due to 100 to 200 cubic metres of lava being ejected from the fracture site every second. Luckily, despite the severe conditions, no injuries were reported. Since 2021, the Fagradalsfjall Volcano has erupted a total of six times.

A representative for Keflavik Airport, which has been directly affected by the interruption to heating and hot water services, confirmed that the volcanic eruption has yet to impact the airport's operations. Speaking to the press, he emphasized that the staff are fully prepared to continue operations in the event of a drop in the terminal's temperature.

The Icelandic Department of Civil Protection urged the island's residents to conserve as much electricity as they can to prevent the power grid from being overly strained. Thankfully, the team has managed to secure the high voltage poles ahead of time.

The lava flow triggered by the eruption caused significant damage to the road leading to the Blue Lagoon bath. As reported by RUV (trans. National Radio and Television Broadcasting) based in Reykjavik, which is approximately two miles from the eruption site, the ominous orange glow is clearly visible. In Grindavik, the town that was evacuated in December after the previous eruption, a fallout of volcanic ash has been observed.

- Naturally, conditions in the area without hot water are far from ideal. However, electricity and drinking water are still available, and we hope that hot water will be restored by Friday afternoon - Katrín Jakobsdóttir, the Prime Minister of Iceland, in a statement to the media.

In an interview on Thursday evening with the Icelandic news outlet, Benedikt Ofeigsson, a geophysicist from the Icelandic Meteorological Office, likened the current eruption to the one experienced on the island on December 18. He stated that both initially gave the impression of being more severe than they ultimately were. The key takeaway, according to him, is that nobody was injured, and aside from the lack of hot water, major losses were avoided.

As of yet, no information suggests that the volcanic eruption will affect air quality in other parts of Europe. It also appears that flights to and from Iceland will most likely remain unaffected. The spokesperson for the airport manager has not reported any canceled flights or issues with accessing the island.

Source: radiozet.pl