BOILING POINT
Fears of ‘cascade’ of flight cancellations across Europe over ‘imminent’ Iceland volcano eruption
More than 100,000 flights were cancelled during the 2010 Icelandic volcano eruption
BRITS are warned of potential flight chaos across Europe after hundreds of earthquakes have resulted in a potential volcano eruption.
Iceland has declared a state of emergency and evacuated thousands of locals due to fears that a volcano near the town of Grindavík could erupt.
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Fagradalsfjall volcano is just 10 miles south of Keflavik International Airport.
Aerial footage revealed a huge crack with billowing steam in Grindavik, splitting the Icelandic town in half.
Many holidaymakers will remember the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull back in 2010, which resulted in 100,000 flights cancelled and left tourist stranded abroad for weeks.
While experts have warned the eruption won't result in the same level of disruption, they've warned that any volcanic eruption can still cause problems for air traffic.
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AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jonathan Porter told : "Although it does not appear that this volcano will have as major an impact to air travel across Europe as we saw back in 2010, any volcanic ash sent into the atmosphere can result in portions of air space being closed.
“Even small differences in the specifics of a volcano eruption and resultant lava flow can result in significant changes to its environmental impacts, so travellers will need to watch out for a potential cascade of flight cancellations and delays.
“Volcanic ash, if ingested in sufficient quantities, can result in jet engine failure – a serious threat to planes."
Holidaymakers across Europe should keep an eye on their flights, even if they are not travelling near Iceland as it can still cause delays across the continent.
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However, the airports on the island currently remain open with flights operating as usual.
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But some tourist attractions have already closed - the popular Blue Lagoon remains shut.
It hopes to reopen on November 16 although the website states the risk will be "reassessed" on the day.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office said there is still a "significant likelihood" of an upcoming eruption near the capital Reykjavik.
Director of the service and research division Matthew James Roberts said: "We believe that this intrusion is literally hovering, sitting in equilibrium now just below the earth's surface.
"We have this tremendous uncertainty now. Will there be an eruption and if so, what sort of damage will occur?"
One local from the evacuated town told the : "If you talk to Icelandic people who have lived there all their lives, they say they have never felt something like that."
If Fagradalsfjall does erupt, it will be the fourth one in two years.
In March 2021, lava fountains erupted from a fissure in the region's Fagradalsfjall volcanic system.
And in August 2022, a three-week eruption happened in the same area, followed by another in July earlier this year.
The volcano had been dormant for over 800 years prior to these eruptions.
Earlier this year, another airport in Europe had to close due to a volcano eruption.
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Catania Airport in Sicily, stopped all flights back on May 21 following an eruption of nearby Mount Etna.
It was forced to close again back in August following another eruption.
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