The latest volcanic eruption in Iceland started on Monday, December 18th at 10:00 PM UTC. When it started the fear was that the town of Grindavík would be in danger of being submerged in molten hot lava. Here is the latest on what is happening and if the town is in danger.

The eruption started north of Grindavík on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Due to major damage from earthquakes and the potential of magma breachin the surface, Grindavík had been evacuated some weeks ago.

Even though, no one was certain where the eruption would happen, it was fairly certain that one was mostly likely to happen in this area or even underneath the town. As of right now, the lava appears to be flowing away from the  town and is confined between two mountains – Sýlingarfell and Hagafell.

Even though the eruption is happening across the road from the Blue Lagoon and the power station, there is no current indication that either are in danger. The Blue Lagoon opened on December 17th again after being closed for weeks, but then had to close again due to the eruption nearby.

It’s hard to say when it will be deemed safe for the Blue Lagoon to open again. Authorities are monitoring the situation closely and it will be announced when the iconic location will open in the future.

Currently, flights to Iceland are not impacted at all by the current volcanic eruption. While this eruption is happening on the same peninsula where the airport is located, it is still far enough away from it to have an impact.

There is no expectation that there will be ash created that can pose a threat to engines of planes. If anything, you might be able to see the eruption well from the window of your flight if you are arriving in the country when it is dark. If anything changes regarding flights, I will definitely announce it.

While I understand the trepidation some people fear of coming to Iceland when an active volcanic eruption is happening, there is no need to cancel your plans to visit. There is only a very small area on the Reykjanes Peninsula that is currently impacted by this natural occurrence.

The rest of Iceland is open for you to explore and enjoy. Like I mentioned above, flights are happening according to schedule and there is no current expectation that this eruption will cause delays or cancellations.

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