Met Office's warning over Iceland volcano which may erupt 'within hours'

12 November 2023 , 02:39

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There is growing concern about potential volcanic activity (Image: Getty Images/500px)

The Icelandic Meteorological Office has warned there is "significant likelihood of a volcanic eruption" after the country suffered 1,485 earthquakes in just 48 hours.

The Civil Protection Authorities and police chief in Suðurnes began evacuating Grindavík on Friday due to concerns over Mount Thorbjorn. According to the Independent, 3,000 residence have already fled.

The seismic activity has put experts on high alert and the believe the eruption could happen in a matter of days. The Met Office has joined the University of Iceland and the Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management for regular meetings to discuss the risk to the local area.

Read more: UK weather maps show Brits face freezing temperatures in wake of icy blast and thick fog

Residents are evacuating the area (Getty Images)

Despite the evacuation efforts, the air authority is still operating as normal in Iceland and there is no official travel advisory against visiting the country. However, travellers are urged to use caution. UK authorities advise: “Keflavik International Airport is operating as normal. While there is no current eruption, it is increasingly possible that one could occur. You should monitor local media for updates and follow the authorities advice on travel to the area.”

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The Met Office explained that status of the situation can change quickly, but experts believe Mount Thorbjorn may only have hours until it erupts. 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."

The Blue Lagoon was shut down (Getty Images)

Additionally, local tourism hot spots are taking caution given the current situation. The famous Blue Lagoon shut down after guests experienced a 4.8 magnitude earthquake at 1am Thursday and left out of concern. On their website, the Blue Lagoon stated: "Blue Lagoon has proactively chosen to temporarily suspend operations for one week, despite the authorities not raising the current level of uncertainty during this period of seismic activity. This affects all of our operations at Blue Lagoon, Silica Hotel, Retreat Spa, Retreat Hotel, Lava, and Moss Restaurant."

The location is currently expected to last until Nov. 16 and they plan to continue monitoring the situation. They added: "We aim to mitigate any disruption to our guests' experiences and alleviate the sustained pressure on our employees. "

Alex West