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A volcano close to the capital of Iceland and the country’s main airport has started to erupt.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office said the eruption is near the Fagradalsfjall mountain, 20 miles south-west of the capital Reykjavik.
A live video feed from the site shows molten lava spewing from a narrow fissure in the mountain.
The eruption follows days of small earthquakes in the area along a peninsula known to be a seismic hot-spot.
In March last year, lava fountains erupted spectacularly from a 500-750 metre long crack in the same area, with activity continuing until September.
It was the first to take place in the area for as long as 800 years but the country is no stranger to eruptions and earthquakes.
The island is located above a volcanic hotspot in the North Atlantic and averages an eruption every four to five years.
Cameras set up close to the volcanic area confirm lava is pouring from the ground (Picture: mbl.is)
The Icelandic Meteorological Office said the eruption is near the Fagradalsfjall mountain (Picture: Metro)
Lava if flowing from a crack which has opened up in the Earth’s surface (Picture: ruv.is)
Fresh volcanic activity close to Keflavik Airport, Iceland’s international air traffic hub, has the nation’s airline industry on high alert.
A ‘code red’ has been issued’, preventing aircraft from flying directly over the site, but this could be stepped down after further investigations.
Eruptions on Iceland have been known to have knock on effects on European aviation.
The eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in 2010 sent clouds of ash and dust into the atmosphere, interrupting air travel for days between Europe and North America.
More than 100,000 flights were grounded, stranding millions of passengers.
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