WATCH: Volcano erupts on Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland, third to hit since December

Iceland on Thursday saw another volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula, the third one since December 2023.

Videos of the eruption were shared on X, formerly Twitter.

In a statement, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said, “At 5:30 this morning an intense seismic activity started north-east of Mt. Sylingarfell. Around 30 minutes later, a volcanic eruption started at the site.”

The fresh volcanic eruption happened at the same site as two previous eruptions — the first on December 18 and the second on January 14 — near the fishing village Grindavik.

Meanwhile, in November, the whole village of Grindavik was evacuated after earthquakes damaged buildings and caused streets to crack.

Giving out details about the flow of lava, IMO said, “Lava flows mostly towards west at the moment and the flow seems to be slightly less than at the start of the 18th of December eruption.”

Iceland is home to over 33 active volcano systems, the highest number in Europe.

It straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a crack in the ocean floor separating the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.

Until March 2021, the Reykjanes peninsula had not experienced an eruption for eight centuries.

Fresh eruptions occurred in August 2022, and July and December 2023, leading volcanologists to say it is probably the start of a new era of activity in the region.

With inputs from AFP