Iceland volcanic eruptions could destroy town after thousands of earthquakes – live

Iceland’s south-western peninsula could face decades of volcanic instability, the Icelandic Met Office warned.

“We expect to see volcanic eruptions along the peninsula, not just repeatedly in the same location. This instability could last decades,” the Icelandic Met Office’s Matthew Roberts told the BBC.

It comes as almost 4,000 people were evacuated from Grindavik over the weekend as authorities feared that molten rock would rise to the surface of the earth.

Iceland has declared a state of emergency after hundreds of earthquakes struck the southwestern Reykjanes peninsula in the past 48 hours.

Despite fears of an impending volcanic eruption, flights from the UK to Keflavik international airport 10 miles north of the eruption site are going ahead as usual.

In April 2010, the Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted and caused a complete shutdown of aviation for a week. Anyone who has a flight booked imminently may be fretting about a possible repeat.

Thankfully, the circumstances are very different, writes Simon Calder.

The earth is at its most restless in Iceland right now. The Reykjanes peninsula, southwest of Reykjavik, is seething with seismic activity sparking hundreds of small earthquakes.

The town of Grindavík, just 10 miles south of Keflavik International Airport, has been evacuated as a precaution.

Yet flights are continuing to arrive and depart as normal. These are the key questions and answers on consumer rights.

Yes, assuming the international airport remains open. So far operations have been normal. There are 14 arrivals and departures planned for Saturday from and to the UK, with no signs of disruption to flights.

Iceland’s southwestern peninsula of Reykjanes could face volcanic instability for decades, the Icelandic Met Office (IMO) warned amid fears of an imminent volcanic eruption.

“We expect to see volcanic eruptions along the peninsula, not just repeatedly in the same location,” IMO’s Matthew Roberts told BBC, adding that the instability could last for decades.

It cut beneath the town of Grindavik, which was evacuated over the weekend, “almost like an underground freight train”, Dr Roberts said about the magma coursing into the ground that fractured rocks.

He told the broadcaster that residents would have to wait for weeks before they could return to the town. “We’re not expecting an explosive eruption,” he said.“

If that were to occur there would be lava flow to the south, possibly towards Grindavik, and also possibly north and westwards” towards the Svartsengi power station and the Blue Lagoon, Dr Roberts added.

Nearly 2,000 earthquakes have been recorded in the past 24 hours in the magma tunnel at Sundhnukagiga, according to state broadcaster RUV.

Sigríðar Kristjánsdóttir, a natural disaster expert at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, said the situation remained the same as the last few days.

Authorities were struggling to work on repairs due to the lack of electricity in the eastern half of Grindavík, a town of nearly 4,000 people.

A small number of residents of Grindavik, the town evacuated due to fears of a volcanic eruption, will be allowed to go into the “red zone” to collect their belongings.

Officials will accompany each person, according to state broadcaster RUV.

Only one person from each family has been allotted a few minutes “to collect basic necessities”.

Around 900 earthquakes hit the south of the country on Monday 13 November, with tens of thousands of tremors reported in the region of Reykjanes in recent weeks.

“All roads to Grindavik are closed and traffic on them is forbidden,” the Road Administration of Iceland wrote on Facebook, sharing footage of the damage.