Þorvaldur Þórðarson, professor of volcanology, says he expects that an eruption in the Ljósufjöll volcanic system on Snæfellsnes may not be far off.
Iceland’s biggest travel weekend is just around the corner. Preparations are well underway for Þjóðhátíð, the country’s largest outdoor festival, held in Vestmannaeyjar — and everything is nearly ready for the weekend. Organizers aren’t letting a gloomy weather forecast dampen their spirits; they’re hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.
A warning has been issued for strong wind gusts beneath Hafnarfjall and in localized areas in the northern part of Snæfellsnes between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. this evening.
Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson, Iceland’s Minister for the Environment, Energy, and Climate, says it would be irresponsible for the state to actively promote oil exploration, considering how the last attempt ended. However, the laws are clear: anyone may apply for a license to explore for oil, conduct surveys, and even carry out shallow drilling on the seabed.
Lína Birgitta Sigurðardóttir, owner of Define the Line and a proud Hafnarfjörður native, was recently spotted at the Í hjarta Hafnarfjarðar (“In the Heart of Hafnarfjörður”) festival. Now in its ninth year, the festival is held with great fanfare and celebration — and Lína says it has a significant positive impact on the town.
A foreign tourist died yesterday near Hrafntinnusker, a mountain located along the Laugavegur hiking trail and near the mountain hut of the same name.
Salmon fishing this summer has been rather sluggish, with catches in most of the country’s main salmon rivers significantly lower than at the same time last year.
Striking new satellite images of Skeiðarárjökull from Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, show that the glacier has retreated significantly—by about half a kilometer to one kilometer along its edge—over the past eight years since earlier images were taken.
All fishermen employed by the seafood company Einhamar Seafood in Grindavík were laid off at the end of the month. However, all of them will be rehired.
Volcanologist Þorvaldur Þórðarson believes that the eruption in the Sundhnúkagígar crater row, which began on July 16, is nearing its end — and that the ongoing volcanic episode in the area may also be coming to a close.
Volcanic activity at the Sundhnúkagígar crater row has slowed since yesterday morning but has remained relatively stable since then.
Sisters Þórhildur and Hulda Dagmar Magnúsdóttir matched the Icelandic record for the combined age of siblings yesterday — and today they break the record as their combined age reaches 206 years and 203 days.
Volcanic activity at the Sundhnúkagígar crater row has remained fairly stable overnight. The eruption continues from a single crater, with lava flowing eastward and spreading out across the lava field within 1 km of the crater. Movement at the outer edges of the lava field is minimal or slow.
No one was injured on board the dredger Álfsnes when a fire broke out in the engine room, causing a power failure in Pollurinn near Ísafjörður late last night.
A steady stream of foreign tourists made their way to the eruption at the Sundhnúkagígar crater row yesterday, while Icelanders were a rare sight in the area.
The Iceland–Palestine Association says in a statement issued yesterday that it regrets “the incident that occurred at the association’s protest yesterday, when one demonstrator splashed red paint on a journalist from mbl.is.”
A protester affiliated with the organization Iceland-Palestine splashed red paint on a photographer for Morgunblaðið and mbl.is at the scene.
Seven Russian trawlers are fishing just outside Iceland’s exclusive economic zone. At the peak in mid-June, there were fifteen vessels.
The Icelandic Tourist Board is warning tourism operators that conditions due to air pollution near Fagradalsfjall and the Sundhnúkar crater area are currently very dangerous. All emergency responders in the area are now required to wear masks.
Landsvirkjun has formally requested that the Environment and Energy Agency of Iceland issue a temporary permit for the Hvammur Hydropower Plant (Hvammsvirkjun), in accordance with Article 4a of the Electricity Act.
Monitoring stations in the capital area have this morning recorded the highest levels of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) since volcanic activity began on the Reykjanes Peninsula. According to the City of Reykjavík’s website, 10-minute peak values have reached or exceeded 2,000 micrograms per cubic meter.
In Hafnarfjörður, the heart beats strong this summer. The town festival Hjarta Hafnarfjarðar (“The Heart of Hafnarfjörður”) has grown and flourished impressively — and it’s not just locals dancing to its rhythm.
An earthquake measuring 3.5 struck west of Kleifarvatn just before 3 a.m. last night and was felt in the capital area.
The volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula has remained stable since this morning, with continued activity from craters near the center of the fissure.
A man was arrested today following a stabbing incident at Austurvöllur. The police received a report about the attack around 2 p.m. The suspect fled the scene on a city bus but was later apprehended at the Kringlan shopping center.
Plans to raise the defensive barriers around Grindavík are part of the emergency response strategy following the volcanic eruption that broke out on the town’s outskirts in April this year.
Small and medium-sized businesses in Grindavík intend to file a damages lawsuit against the Icelandic state due to repeated closures of the town in recent years.
The eruption on the Sundhnúkur crater row is still ongoing, now having lasted for more than two days.
Access to Grindavík has now been opened to the general public, according to a statement from the Suðurnes Police Commissioner.
A new map by Morgunblaðið and mbl.is illustrates the location of the volcanic eruption on the Sundhnúkur crater row — the twelfth eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula since March 2021, and the ninth in or near Sundhnúkur since December 2023.
Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir has just welcomed Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, at Reykjavík Airport.
A volcanic eruption began on the Sundhnúkur crater row during the night — the twelfth eruption in the series since December 2023.
A volcanic eruption has begun near the Sundhnúkar crater row — the twelfth eruption since the first one at Mt. Fagradalsfjall in 2021.
This new drone footage shows the eruption from above. The video was captured early this morning by photographer Hörður Kristleifsson and reveals the fissure, which is estimated to be about one kilometer long.
