Iceland Hot lava sweeps the streets after the volcanic eruption – photos and video

The pictures taken from above are impressive, as they document the consequences of a huge wave of lava that exploded from a volcano in Iceland in recent weeks, covering an important road. Videos posted on social media — such as one captured by Icelandic photographer Vilhelm Gunnarsson — show glowing lava slowly advancing along Grindavikurvegur, the main road leading to the town of Grindavík, closed by the eruption and lava flows. According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO). CNNThis is the fifth time lava has crossed the road since the series of eruptions began in late 2023. The IMO also said lava continued to flow northwest along a channel similar to the one that crossed the road last Saturday and warned that lava is continuing to accumulate. Southeast of the volcano, with the possibility of it moving to the area in the coming days.

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“These flows advance slowly, and you don't really see them moving. They collapse in on themselves and move forward that way. “Even though the core looks black, it is still molten,” explains volcanologist Mylène Payet-Clerk from the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Iceland. The same section of road was swallowed up in February and March this year, only to be repaired and reopened both times. Initially, the lava flows cut off two of the three roads leading to the city of Grindavik, advancing steadily along a defensive barrier built to protect the city and key infrastructure from destruction. But the situation has improved since then, according to the city's mayor. Grindavik is still without power, but hot and cold water continues to circulate without any apparent damage to the piping system.

Grindavik city

Grindavik is a small town with a population of about 3,800 people, and has been largely evacuated in light of the explosions in December. Residents and workers who remained in the city were asked to leave as much as possible, although some refused to leave and were reassured by the Icelandic Foreign Ministry that there had been no disruption to domestic or international flights. Meanwhile, residents can still reach the city via alternative routes from the east and west.

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