Grindavík residents had been preparing to spend Christmas back at home after being evacuated

Until just after 10pm on Monday, when the earth opened up and spat out an otherworldly 4km-long wall of lava, Sígrún Ísdal had been planning to spend Christmas at home in Grindavík with her family. Like many residents of the fishing town on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula, who were all evacuated on 10 November, she had been preparing to move back after more than a month spent in the limbo of temporary accommodation.

Ísdal, who works at Grindavík sports centre, had even been in the town briefly on Monday evening to pick up a few possessions, as residents have recently been allowed to do. “There was just good weather and I didn’t see anything,” she said.

Fearing a significant event, authorities had evacuated the nearly 4,000 inhabitants of the fishing town of Grindavik

A volcano in southwest Iceland has erupted, spewing lava and smoke across a large area after weeks of intense earthquake activity, the country’s Meteorological Office has said.

Fearing a significant outbreak on the Reykjanes peninsula, authorities had evacuated the nearly 4,000 inhabitants of the fishing town of Grindavik in November after the area was hit by a “seismic swarm” of more than 1,000 earthquakes in 24 hours.

About 230 earthquakes reported near Reykjanes peninsula overnight as police alert remains at danger level

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One of Iceland’s most popular tourist attractions has reopened for the first time in more than a month – despite fears of a potential volcanic eruption.

The Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa south-west of the capital, Reykjavík, closed on 9 November after the Reykjanes peninsula was hit by a “seismic swarm” of more than 1,000 earthquakes in 24 hours that reportedly led to dozens of guests fleeing the resort in taxis.