Volcanic eruption underway near Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland.
This was announced by the Icelandic Meteorological Agency.
In recent weeks, thousands of earthquakes had been recorded, mostly of low magnitude probably due to the movement of magma under the peninsula and had been considered a prelude to a volcanic eruption around Mount Keilir.
The volcano from which the eruption is taking place is located about 40 kilometers from the capital Reykjavik.
The area has been banned from flying.
"The volcanic eruption started in Fagradalsfjall. The code is red, but very little turbulence is seen on the seismometers," the institute, which monitors seismic activity, wrote on Twitter.
The Krysuvik volcanic system is located south of Mount Fagradalsfjall on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland.
"The first notification was received by the Meteorological Office at 21.40 GMT. The eruption was confirmed via webcam and satellite images," the institute said on its website.
While Iceland's Keflavik International Airport and the small fishing port of Grindavik are only a few kilometers away, the area is uninhabited and the eruption should pose no danger.
Volcanic eruptions in the region are known as effusive eruptions, in which lava constantly flows from the ground, as opposed to explosive ones that spew clouds of ash high into the sky.
The Krysuvik volcanic system has been dormant for the past 900 years, according to the Meteorological Office, while the last eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula dates back nearly 800 years, to 1240.