In Copenhagen, Iceland’s most recent volcanic eruption has subsided, leaving behind damaged roads and pipelines. This has resulted in the loss of hot water to parts of the Reykjanes peninsula in the midst of frigid temperatures.
The eruption, which commenced on Thursday, emitted orange lava reaching heights of 80 meters (260 feet) from a 3 km (2 mile) fissure in the earth, but by Friday morning, only a few intermittent vents remained.
This eruption marks the third in the region, located just south of the capital city of Reykjavik, since December.
As a consequence of the lava damaging hot water pipes used to supply geothermally-heated water, schools, kindergartens, museums, and other public institutions in the area were closed on Friday.
Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir expressed concern over the lack of hot water in the region but assured the public that there is electricity and potable water available. She hoped to have hot water restored by noon on Friday. The area’s temperature stood at -8 degrees Celsius (17.6 Fahrenheit) early on Friday.
Satellite images released by the Icelandic Met Office indicated that lava flows had extended approximately 4.5 kilometers (3 miles) to the west of the eruption, coming within 500 meters (1600 feet) of the Blue Lagoon, a lavish geothermal spa. The spa was evacuated on Thursday and remained closed.
(Reporting by Stine Jacobsen, editing by Terje Solsvik and Andrew Cawthorne)
