Iceland volcano erupts after weeks of warnings and a town’s evacuation

A volcanic eruption in southwest Iceland was diminishing Tuesday, authorities said, but it could nonetheless continue for hours or days. Though lava flows did not present any threat to life, winds could blow harmful gases toward Reykjavik by Wednesday morning, they warned.

The long-anticipated eruption began Monday night, with live-streamed footage showing plumes of smoke billowing up from lava — all cast against the pitch-black Icelandic night. By Tuesday evening, lava flows were estimated to be about one-quarter of what had been observed at the start of the eruption, according to the Icelandic Met Office. Most of the lava was flowing eastward, not toward any populated areas.