On the evening of 18 December 2023, a strong volcanic eruption affected the Grindavik area, on the Reykjanes peninsula and near the Svartsengi geothermal plant, as well as in the Blue Lagoon tourist area. The eruption could last 7 to 10 days. Roads to the eruption area are closed. The road to Keflavik airport could also be closed in the near future. The Department for Civil Protection and Emergency had already evacuated the town of Grindavík on 10/11/2023. It is recommended to avoid the area in question and to constantly monitor the information available to travelers and residents provided by the local authorities on the website/app www.safetravel.is, on the Icelandic Civil Protection website http://www.almannavarnir.is /english/ and on the website dedicated to volcano monitoring: https://icelandicvolcanos.is/ It is also advisable to always keep yourself informed, also through the media, on the meteorological (http://en.vedur.is/) and road situation (http://www.vegagerdin.is/english) and to always comply, during your stay, with the measures issued by the local authorities.
The risk of repercussions on the regularity of air traffic in the country or of a temporary interruption thereof cannot be ruled out. You are invited to check the status of flights with the relevant airlines on a constant basis.
Iceland | Volcanic eruption near Grindavík
