In Iceland, a volcano eruption has begun: lava is approaching Grindavik, volcanologists are not making predictions

At three in the morning, a series of earthquakes struck the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland, prompting evacuations. Residents of the city of Grindavik had a limited time to quickly leave their homes before the volcanic eruption began.

At 4 a.m., people were evacuated, an aid center was set up, and the city's electricity was cut off. At around 8 am, the volcano began to erupt. RÚV, the country's national broadcaster, is following the events in real time.

Civil Defense declared an emergency and prohibited people from returning to the city. Meanwhile, lava is already approaching houses and infrastructure.

Seismologists had assumed that the ground might give way under Grindavík, but it happened a little further away.

"It's hard to say how big the eruption will be," Benedikt Ofeigsson, a natural hazards expert at the Icelandic Meteorological Service, told RÚV morning news.

It is now known that the lava is approaching the city closer than in December, during the previous eruption.

Reporters near the scene claim that there is currently no wind in Iceland, and therefore, the column of smoke is rising and has not yet stopped.

Volcanologist Orvaldur Thordarson fears that the city may be at risk of destruction if the eruption continues to grow rapidly. However, scientists predict that it will be short-lived.

The eruption did not affect flights, as no critical levels of ash were detected in the air. Currently, all people around the fissure have been evacuated, and a car rescue operation is underway.

The lava threatens the hot water pipeline leading to Grindavik.

It is unclear whether the magma flow will have time to stop before reaching the city.