People staying at the world famous Blue Lagoon spa in Iceland have been evacuated following the sudden and unexpected eruption of a volcano for the seventh time in a year

A volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland has erupted for the seventh time since December, prompting evacuation orders. Glowing hot lava in bright yellow and orange shades were shooting up into the sky just after 11pm, video footage showed. A massive ground fissure around 3km long opened on the peninsula.

A road to the world-famous Icelandic attraction was also damaged, as a nearby volcano erupted for the seventh time in less than a year.

Iceland sits above a volcanic hotspot in the North Atlantic, and averages one eruption every four to five years. Ten eruptions have occured since the start of the current wave of volcanic activity in the peninsula, which began in March 2021. The longest eruption occurred at Fagradalsfjall (March–September 2021), which lasted 183 days.

A volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland has erupted unexpectedly for the seventh time in a year and it has led to major evacuations - including from the Blue Lagoon tourist resort