(BBC News) Gas pollution could hit Iceland’s capital after a volcano began erupting late on Monday, the country’s meteorological office has said.
The eruption, which broke out on the Reykjanes peninsula of southwest Iceland, comes after weeks of intense earthquakes and tremors.
Fumes could reach Reykjavik by Tuesday evening.
About 4,000 people were evacuated last month from Grindavik, a fishing town threatened by the lava flow.
Iceland has been braced for volcanic activity for weeks. Since late October, the region around Reykjavik has been experiencing an increase in earthquake activity.
The eruption can be seen from Reykjavik, which is about 42 km northeast of Grindavik.
In 2010, a volcanic eruption in Iceland caused an ash plume to rise several kilometres into the atmosphere, leading to several days of air travel disruption in Europe.