Iceland volcano eruption fear after seismic swarm hits country – live

This video is from a home in Grindavík , the city closest to the intense seismic activity underway in Iceland at the moment.

Iceland’s National Police Commissioner has said there is the “greatest likelihood” that lava will emerge at the Sundhnúkar crater.

They said in a social media update: “Very clear signs now appear on the Meteorological Agency’s meter about the formation of mercury to the surface.

“Onward there is the greatest likelihood that a lava will emerge north of the water reservoir at Sundhnúkar and therefore lava will not flow to Grindavík in accordance with the lava flow that was driven earlier tonight.

“More information is not available at the moment but will be updated as it is available.”

Iceland is increasing popular as a destination for British holidaymakers. On Saturday alone, 14 flights are due to arrive in Reykjavik from the UK.

Nine are from London, three from Manchester and one each from Edinburgh and Glasgow. Five airlines are involved: British Airways, easyJet, Icelandair, Play (a new Icelandic carrier) and Wizz Air.

At present flights are scheduled to operate as normal, according to Flightradar24. Anyone choosing to cancel is likely to lose most or all of the fare.

A new easyJet route to Akureyri in northern Iceland opened this week. The city is nearly 200 miles from the site of the latest seismic activity.

At this time of year many British and American travellers are tempting by the Northern Lights, which are at a peak of the usual 11-year cycle.

Iceland’s famous Blue Lagoon spa has temporarily shut down, one week after a series of earthquakes led guests to vacate the hotel.

The Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa southwest of Reykjavík, will reportedly be closed until 16 November due to a series of earthquakes that hit the region after midnight on 2 November.

In a statement posted to its website, the spa explained: “The primary reason for taking these precautionary measures is our unwavering commitment to safety and wellbeing. We aim to mitigate any disruption to our guests’ experiences and alleviate the sustained pressure on our employees.”

The Blue Lagoon is a steamy bathing complex of volcanic lava pools that calls itself “one of the 25 wonders of the world”.

The pools are filled with water from a nearby geothermal power station. The turquoise hue of the water is acquired from the algae that share the pools with the tourists.

The Blue Lagoon is an increasingly popular “wellness” destination, with an upmarket hotel on the site. Day visitors are welcome, too: for around £50 you get admission to the Blue Lagoon, a silica mud mask and a drink.

The Blue Lagoon is best visited in the depths of winter when steam rises from the warm water. Keflavik International Airport is only 10 miles away, with regular buses. During a stopover en route between Europe and North America it is easy to make a side trip to the Blue Lagoon.

Iceland has many more thermal springs around the country – including in Reykjavik – and prices are generally much lower.

The aviation colour code – which informs the aviation sector about a volcano’s status – is now orange over Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula.

An orange code means a volcano is exhibiting heightened unrest with an increased likelihood of eruption.

Volcanic eruptions in Iceland are generally regarded as harmless – and interesting, if temporary, tourist attractions.

Clive Stacey, founder of specialist operator Discover the World, has been sending British tourists to Iceland for decades.

His company operates a “volcano hotline”. He told The Independent: “If there are eruptions in Iceland, and they’re safe, and worth going to see, then we organise special trips. Often they only last for a very short time, so we take people over as soon as the eruption happens.

“It really isn’t dangerous. They take all the correct precautions. They look after tourists very, very well.”

The affected area is very close to the main international airport, Keflavik, which is at the end of the southwestern Reykjanes Peninsula where the activity is taking place.

Many travellers will remember where they were March 2010, when the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull erupted.

The skies of northern Europe completely closed to passenger aviation for almost a week because of fears that volcanic ash spreading southeast from Iceland could damage aircraft engines and endanger travellers.

More than 50,000 flights, with eight million passengers booked to travel, were cancelled. At the time it as the worst crisis in European aviation since the 9/11 attacks.

The following days were characterised by stories of travellers desperate to get home – and growing frustration at what was increasingly seen as a gross overreaction to a vanishingly small threat. Iceland’s main airport remained open for much of the time.

Iceland, which sits above a volcanic hot spot in the North Atlantic, averages an eruption every four to five years.

The most disruptive in recent times was the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which spewed so much ash into the atmosphere that airspaces over Europe were closed.

Iceland’s National Police Commissioner declared a state of emergency for Civil Defence in a statement that reads: “Earthquakes can become larger than those that have occurred and this sequence of events could lead to an eruption.

“However, there are no signs yet that the magma is seeking the surface. The progress is closely monitored.”

Iceland’s National Police Commissioner declared a state of emergency for Civil Defence after 1,485 earthquakes have hit the country in the last 48 hours.

According to information from the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), seismic activity in the area has increased significantly since 3pm on Friday.

The IMO said an earthquake of 5.0 magnitude — the largest since seismic activity began on October 25 — was measured by Fagradalsfjall, a volcano located about 19 miles from the capital city of Reykjavik.

The Blue Lagoon geothermal spa — one of Iceland’s biggest tourist attractions — closed temporarily as it felt the tremors of one of the quakes.