Iceland is still bracing for a possible Fagradalsfjall volcano eruption, with adverse weather and waves of snow now hampering earthquake monitoring efforts.
Yellow weather warnings are in place for large swathes of the island, including the Reykjanes Peninsula where the volcano is located.
It comes a day after a senior police official told people living in Grindavik, a small village of a few thousand near the Blue Lagoon, that they likely won’t return home for ‘months’.
Director of the country’s civil defence police unit Víðir Reynisson told reporters the volcano could blow ‘within days, not months’.
And Icelanders wouldn’t be given much of a warning. The volcanic system may shoot lava out from the earth with just ’30 minutes’ notice’.
Earthquakes act as constant reminders of the imminent eruption, with over 1,000 tremors in the last 24 hours.
Underground magma is causing the ground to ‘rapidly’ swell around Svartsengi, as officials race to build walls to protect it from lava.
Travel advice from the UK Foreign Office remains unchanged, with tourists urged to check official advice over whether it is safe to travel to the area.
