Watch: Volcano begins erupting near Iceland's largest airport

A aerial shot of activity from the Fagradalsfjall volcano in Iceland on Wednesday Aug. 3, 2022, which is located 32 kilometers (20 miles) southwest of the capital of Reykjavik and close to the international Keflavik Airport. Authorities in Iceland say a volcano in the southwest of the country is erupting just eight months after its last eruption officially ended. (AP Photo/Ernir Snær)

A volcanic eruption has occurred near the Icelandic captial of Reykjavik, the Icelandic Meterological Office (IMO) has said.

The Fagradalsfjall volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula, about 32km from the Icelandic capital, began erupting earlier this afternoon, with local media showing clips of lava flowing from a narrow fissure in the earth.

"Eruption has started near Fagradalsfjall. Exact location has yet to be confirmed," the IMO, which monitors seismic activity across the island, wrote on Twitter.

Eruption has started near Fagradalsfjall. Exact location has yet to be confirmed.

— Veðurstofa Íslands / Icelandic Met Office (@Vedurstofan) August 3, 2022

The eruption follows days of small earthquakes in the area. The site of the main fissure is close to Keflavik Airport, Iceland’s international air traffic hub.

At present, there are no reports of any major ash plume, and no flights have been affected.

In 2021, a major eruption occurred in the same area - the first time there had been an eruption recorded on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula for 815 years.

A volcanic hotspot, Iceland has 32 active volcanic systems, the highest of any nation in Europe. On average, a volcanic eruption occurs in Iceland every four or five years.

In 2010, the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Southern Iceland resulted in what at the time was the largest international air-traffic shut-down since World War II.

For days, volcanic ash poured from the volcano, sending an ash plume high into the atmosphere. In total, more than 100,000 flights were cancelled leaving millions of passengers stranded.