(This article relates to the 2010 eruption at Eyjafjallajokull. For information on the May 2011 eruption at Grimsvotn, please check the IceNews homepage for regular updates)In Iceland, the ‘First Day of Summer’ was recently celebrated with numerous festivities taking place in downtown Reykjavik. This is yet another indication that day-to-day life continues as normal with the vast majority of the country and population being unaffected by the recent volcanic eruption.
The volcanic eruption at Eyjafjallajokull is currently around 1/10 of the size it was during the first few days and the ash clouds surrounding the volcano appear to be slowly decreasing. Those mainly affected are farmers in the immediate area located just to the south of the volcano crater. This is where the majority of volcanic ash has fallen and consequently hectares of farmland and this year’s crops have been damaged.
Last weekend, hundreds of volunteers travelled to the volcano area to assist with the cleaning up of volcanic ash and to help those affected by the eruption. The abundance of volunteers came together on Facebook with a group being made by numerous organisations such as the Icelandic Red Cross, the accident prevention association Ice-Sar and the jeep association 4×4. The federation of women’s associations in Iceland also helped out by serving lunch at a local service centre for all the volunteers.
With the recent volcanic eruption only affecting a very small area of Iceland on the south coast, the vast majority of the island remains unaffected and is still extremely safe to travel around. Iceland’s Route 1 highway which runs near to the volcano has even been reopened because no immediate dangers are present.
Travel and tourism businesses in Reykjavik are open as usual with numerous day trips and guided tours that explore the beauty of the island. As well as this, the whale watching season has now officially started and new exhibitions are opening in downtown museums. Sightseeing tours are also running as normal, including jeep tours to view the volcano.
Furthermore, Icelandair continues to make flights in and out of Iceland as frequent as possible even with the recent disruptions. Iceland’s flagship airline company is also like many others continuing to offer package deals and tours around Iceland.
For more information about flights to Iceland and package deals visit www.icelandair.com
Photographer: Anders Peter Amsnæs / www.imagix.dk
We Canadians took a great deal of interest in the 2010 eruption and its impact as Icelandic people have made a significant contribution here. When I lived in Winnipeg, Manitoba I used to drive north to visit the beautiful community of Gimli on Lake Winnipeg, an Icelandic settlement dating from the 1870s.
When I fly to the UK the route often takes us over or close to southern Iceland, though of course planes avoided the area in 2010 due to the ash. I’ve seen far less threatening eruptions in Hawaii, which consist mainly of lava flows on the big island, so I can’t imagine what fear and concern this eruption caused.
Let’s hope, like the dormant volcanoes of Hawaii’s other islands such as Maui, yours soon nods back off to sleep!
I couldn’t imagine living or worse, having to fly, in an area prone to volcanic eruptions of this magnitude. It’s a beautiful, yet terrifying act of nature.
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How will it effect southern Iceland if Katla goes off that is what i would like to know ! Will all of south Iceland be flooded out like the documentry on Iceland on channel 4 said today!
Icelanders you are a strong resilient people, and you will overcome the effects of the volcano. Likewise you will overcome the effects of the economic problems you are experiencing. Transparency and democracy should prevail to help you make the turnaround. Neighbouring countries should help Iceland in this endeavour without placing too much of hardship on its people.
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With all our woes, we are still gratefull and determined to overcome all odds. Life has to go on with all the help around. Gledileg summar.