The Blue Lagoon geothermal spa has been closed and guests evacuated after a volcano on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula erupted again.
The spa was evacuated after the eruption started at 11.14pm local time on Wednesday night, with little warning. By midday on Thursday, lava had reached the spa’s parking area. The local town of Grindavik has also been evacuated.
This is the seventh time the volcano has erupted since December 2023. The Icelandic Meteorological Office said on Thursday the latest activity was estimated to be smaller than the volcano’s two previous eruptions, which occurred in August and May this year. It added ‘activity in the eruption appears to have peaked’.
But it later issued an update to say: “The lava flow that crossed Grindavíkurvegur and the hot water pipeline to the west has continued travelling westward. By midday, lava reached the parking lot at the Blue Lagoon and continues to advance. The rate of advancement was measured to be over 100 meters per hour between 12:09 and 13:35.
“This lava field has now extended farther west than any lava flow from previous eruptions.”
The Blue Lagoon will remain closed until Monday.
A message on the spa’s website says: “Due to a volcanic eruption that commenced in Sundhnúksgígar on November 20, we took the precautionary measure of evacuating and temporarily closing all our operational units. Blue Lagoon will be closed through Sunday, November 24, at which time the situation will be reassessed.”
Keflavik International Airport is currently still open, and flights are operating.
