Volcano erupts in Iceland after weeks of seismic tremors led to anticipation

A long anticipated volcanic eruption on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula started on th evening of December 18, turning the sky orange and prompting the civil defense to be put on high alert.

As reported by Iceland Monitor, the eruption occurred about 3 kilometers from the town of Grindavík, which had been evacuated back in November after strong seismic activity in the area damaged homes and raised fears of an imminent eruption.

A total of 4,000 people were earlier evacuated in the day from the region. In November, police evacuated the town or Grindavik after strong seismic activity in the area damaged homes and raised fears of an imminent eruption. 

Images and videos posted on social media show lava bursting from the volcano only an hour after the first seismic activity was recorded.