Iceland's Fagradalsfjall volcano erupts, disrupting hot water and heating, residents urged to conserve electricity

Iceland, a Nordic country situated on the northern portion of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, experiences frequent geological activity due to its location on a rift between tectonic plates. Consequently, the inhabitants are periodically exposed to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

The Fagradalsfjall Volcano, positioned in the southwestern region of Iceland, erupted on Thursday, February 8. Regrettably, the lava flow interrupted hot water and heating services to private homes and Keflavik Airport. An ominous orange glow from the eruption was visible even from Iceland's capital, Reykjavik.

This is not the first time the Fagradalsfjall Volcano has erupted. Its last eruption took place on December 18, 2023. During that instance, the local authorities evacuated the town of Grindavik due to the hazard posed by 100 to 200 cubic meters of lava being ejected per second from the site. Thankfully, there were no casualties. The Fagradalsfjall Volcano has erupted six times since 2021.

An official from Keflavik Airport, where heating and hot water supply have been cut off, confirmed that the volcanic activity has not disrupted the airport's operations so far. He stressed that the staff is primed to continue working despite a possible decrease in terminal temperatures.

In response to the crisis, the Icelandic Department of Civil Protection appealed to residents to conserve as much electricity as possible to prevent overloading the power grid. Luckily, measures had been taken beforehand to safeguard the high-voltage poles.

The lava that flowed after the eruption damaged the route leading to the famed Blue Lagoon bath. According to the RUV (trans. National Radio and Television Broadcasting) in Reykjavik, located approximately two miles from the eruption site, the orange glow was visible even from there. Meanwhile, volcanic ashfall was reported in the previously evacuated town of Grindavik.

"Of course, the situation in the area without hot water is challenging, but electricity and drinking water are available. We hope to restore hot water supply by Friday noon," remarked Prime Minister of Iceland, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, in a statement to the media.

Benedikt Ofeigsson, a geophysicist from the Icelandic Meteorological Office, shared on Icelandic news on Thursday evening that the recent eruption closely resembled the one seen on December 18. According to him, while both eruptions initially appeared more threatening than they eventually turned out to be, no one was hurt, and other than the loss of hot water, no major damage was inflicted.

So far, there is no news about whether the volcanic eruption could impact air quality elsewhere in Europe. It also appears that flights to Iceland will largely remain operational. The airport spokesman did not announce any flight cancellations or difficulties in reaching Iceland.

Source: radiozet.pl