Iceland volcano erupts near town after weeks of quake activity

FILE PHOTO: General view of an area near to the evacuated town of Grindavik, in Iceland, November 17, 2023. REUTERS/Marko Djurica/File Photo

OSLO (Reuters) -A volcano erupted late on Monday in southwest Iceland, spewing lava and smoke across a wide area after weeks of intense earthquake activity, the country's Meteorological Office said, threatening a nearby town.

Fearing a significant eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula, authorities last month evacuated the nearly 4,000 inhabitants of the fishing town of Grindavik and closed the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.