Iceland’s Blue Lagoon has been forced to close again after the latest nearby volcanic eruption.
Hotels at the geothermal spa in Svartsengi had only reopened on Friday for the first time since closure in November.
However, the eruption in the early hours of Sunday on the Reykjanes peninsula saw people forced to leave the fishing town of Grindavik after returning from a previous evacuation.
More: Icelandic volcanic eruption forces Blue Lagoon to shut a day after reopening [December 23]
Blue Lagoon to remain shut until after Christmas [December 23]
The Blue Lagoon, which is located three miles from central Grindavik, will remain closed until tomorrow (Tuesday).
The site partially reopened before Christmas after closure on November 9 due to heightened geological activity in the area in the southwest of Iceland but then had to shut after just 24 hours.
A statement on the spa’s website said that the latest eruption commenced southeast of Hagafell mountain on the morning of January 14.
“Following an increase in seismic activity detected in the area on the previous night, we took the precautionary measure of evacuating all our operational units. The current eruption site is at a safe distance from Blue Lagoon.
“Consequently, we will remain closed until Tuesday, January 16.Further updates and information will be provided here as they become available.
“All guests with bookings during this temporary closure period will be contacted. Guests wishing to modify or cancel their bookings are kindly directed to use the My Booking portal.
“As always, we follow the safety guidelines and recommendations of the authorities and will continue working closely with them, monitoring the progress of events.”
Specialised protective barriers are being constructed at Svartsengi in a bid to safeguard the Blue Lagoon’s infrastructure against potential lava flows.
“This precautionary measure is based on expert analysis of various volcanic eruption scenarios. Currently, construction is progressing on both sides of our Svartsengi facilities,” according to the Blue Lagoon.
The Foreign Office said in updated travel advice for Iceland: “All roads to Grindavík are closed and you should stay away from the area.
“Keflavik International airport is operating as normal, but you should check for latest updates. Reykjavik and the rest of Iceland have not been impacted.
“You should monitor local media for updates and follow the authorities´ advice.”
Meanwhile, The Sun reported that an EasyJet aircraft skidded onto a verge after landing on a flight from Gatwick.
A spokesperson told the newspaper: “We can confirm that EZY8843 from London Gatwick to Keflavik went off the taxiway when taxing to its stand at low speed. All passengers disembarked normally.”
A replacement aircraft was arranged to operate the return flight to Gatwick.
More: Icelandic volcanic eruption forces Blue Lagoon to shut a day after reopening [December 23]
Blue Lagoon to remain shut until after Christmas [December 23]