January 14th 2024.
As the morning sun rose over southwestern Iceland, a sight that has become all too familiar in recent weeks could be seen on the outskirts of the town of Grindavik - billowing smoke and flowing lava. Just a few weeks after the Fagradalsfjall volcano made headlines with its eruption, another volcano has burst to life, sending lava bursting into Grindavik this afternoon.
According to a live stream by Iceland's public broadcaster, RÚV, the eruption began just before 8am local time with molten lava spewing from a fissure. As the day went on, the lava grew into towering fountains, putting on a fiery show for spectators. However, this natural wonder was not without its consequences. The country's national weather service had already detected 200 earthquakes near Grindavik, a town located about 32 miles southwest of the capital city Reykjavik.
For the 4,000 residents of Grindavik, this eruption brought back all too familiar memories. Just last November, the town was fully evacuated as a precaution, and only a handful of residents had returned in the following weeks. But as the lava advanced towards their homes once again, these locals found themselves in a state of deja vu when they received a text from the police, advising them to evacuate - yet again.
Feeling helpless, the residents could only watch as the molten rock made its way towards their town, bursting through the limits in the afternoon. This marks the fifth volcanic eruption in the Reykjanes peninsula this year alone, a region that is home to the country's largest population and has seen its once dormant volcanoes come to life after 800 years of slumber.
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