A volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland has erupted for the seventh time since December, prompting evacuation orders.
Glowing hot lava in bright yellow and orange shades were shooting up into the sky just after 11pm, video footage showed.
A massive ground fissure around 3km long opened on the peninsula.
First signs of an eruption were recorded just 45 minutes before the fissure was opened by magma forcing its way through the earth's crust, Iceland's meteorological office said.
It added there has been no noticeable increase in seismic activity in recent weeks, despite authorities warning of volcanic activity as magma accumulated beneath the peninsula.
The most recent eruption ended only on October 6, and Wednesday’s was expected to be much smaller.
While the eruption does not pose a threat to air travel, the authorities warned of gas emissions across parts of the peninsula.
“In the big picture, this is a bit smaller than the last eruption, and the eruption that occurred in May,” Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson, a professor of geophysics who flew over the scene with the Civil Protection agency to monitor the event, told the national RUV broadcaster.
However, some disruption was caused as the TV station said the luxury geothermal spa resort Blue Lagoon had shut down and evacuated its guests.
Around 50 houses were evacuated after the Civil Protection agency issued the alert.
It comes after nearby fishing town of Grindavik, home to nearly 4,000 residents before an evacuation order in December last year, remains mostly deserted due to the periodic threat from lava flows.
The geological systems in the area reactivated in 2021 and have since erupted at rising frequency.
Experts have warned that Reykjanes is likely to experience repeated volcanic outbreaks for decades, and possibly even centuries.
