The Foreign Office has warned holidaymakers of possible delays and cancellations after a number of volcanic eruptions. The Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) has urged tourists to check for alerts and advice before they head off.
The alert is for Iceland after a number of eruptions in recent weeks. Icelandic eruptions in previous years have created smoke and ash clouds that disrupted traffic across northern Europe.
The FCDO said: “No travel can be guaranteed safe,” and added: “Recently there has been a series of volcanic eruptions on the Reykjanes peninsula in south-west Iceland. These have affected the town of Grindavik and the area to the north of it. Icelandic authorities advise that you stay away from this area. All roads to Grindavik and the surrounding area are closed.”
“The likelihood of further eruptions in this location remains high. Check local media for updates and follow the Iceland authorities’ advice on travel to the area.”
The advice reads: “There are many volcanoes located around the world. If a volcano erupts, this can cause loss of life and widespread damage to property and transport and other infrastructure.”
The most significant disruption from volcanoes in Iceland came in April 2010, when the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull volcano led to widespread air travel disruptions across Europe. The ash cloud from the eruption spread across Europe, leading to the largest air-traffic shutdown since World War II. Over 100,000 flights were cancelled, affecting millions of passengers.
The main disruption lasted for about a week, but intermittent disruptions continued for several weeks due to ongoing volcanic activity and changing wind patterns. One year later during the Grimsvotn Eruption (2011) flights in and out of Iceland and parts of the UK, Ireland, and Scandinavia were hit.