4th April 2025

Media reporting – Civil Protection Level: Crisis Level

The brief eruption has now been completed but seismic activity is still detected in the area.

The continuation of this event is quite uncertain, as a large number of small earthquakes are still detected at the northern end of the dike. Web cameras, drone flight videos and gas measurements show that the eruption that started at 9:44 am on April 1, 2025 ended at about 16:45 am on the same day and lasted about 6 hours, making it the shortest eruption in this eruption in the Sundhnúksgíga ridge.

The Met Office updated the hazard assessment for the area at 15 pm on 2 April, see hazard assessment map in the link. The hazard assessment is valid until 4 April, at 15 pm, unchanged. The hazard assessment includes changes, see further:

The National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police in consultation with the Chief of Police in Suðurnes decided before noon on 2 April to move the Civil Protection level from the emergency level to the crisis level. A press release on the change in the Civil Protection level was published on the Civil Protection website at 11:27 the same day. See on the page:

The Implementation Committee for the Groundquake in Grindavík City updated the risk assessment for the urban area in Grindavík on April 2nd, among other things, but the results are as follows. The risk assessment will be published on the website of Civil Protection at the following address:

Based on the risk assessment of the engineering office, which includes the risk assessment of the Met Office and the defence measures that are in place and are constantly being worked on, the Executive Committee and the Department of Civil Protection conclude that the risks of all parties are very high, which means that the defence against dangers is in place but there is a great risk of serious events. Therefore people, other than first responders and those who are working for the sake of their jobs, need to be traveling in Grindavík, are advised not to be in the area.

The risk assessment of the engineering firm Örugg is carried out for three areas, i.e. 1) eruption/explosion area, 2) Svartsengi and 3) Grindavík (urban area). The assessment is carried out for four groups, i.e. 1) responders, consultants and contractors, 2) residents, 3) companies and 4) external parties and tourists.

In Grindavík the risk is estimated to be high for responders, consultants and contractors, very high for residents and businesses and unacceptable for outsiders and tourists. In the Svartsengi area the risk is estimated to be moderate for responders, consultants and contractors but high for businesses, outsiders and tourists. In the eruption/explosion area the risk is however unacceptable for all parties. It is recommended that non-responsive persons do not enter the eruption/explosion area.

Every morning, and during the day, there are checks to see if any defences have worked and if they have been repaired where necessary.

The risk assessment shall be valid until a new risk assessment is issued.

The Chief of Police has opened up all traffic to and from Grindavík in consultation with his response parties. He considers the risk into the urban area in Grindavík acceptable under current conditions. The risk is however unacceptable for everyone into the eruption/explosion area.

Residents and employees of companies stay in a danger zone on their own responsibility. Each must be responsible for their own actions or inaction. The same applies to tourists. Bad weather and bad conditions reduce the safety of people entering danger zones while affecting the monitoring capacity of the Icelandic Met Office.
The Chief of Police recommends that people look at the accompanying hazard assessment map from the Icelandic Met Office. He also recommends that people familiarize themselves with the content of the Chief of Police’s press release, which was sent out on April 2nd.
Countermeasures are and have been in place within the crisis areas, which include raising the level of dikes, mapping, geological surveys, geological surveys and visual inspections. In addition, cracks have been cordoned off.

In the area south of Vogar and Reykjanesbraut, explosives have been searched for in the past. The area is considered to be contaminated by active and passive bombs that can cause human loss if they explode, but temperature or movement can affect the area. Location within 300 meters from the center of a large bomb can cause human loss. The area contains cannonballs, mortars and training bombs. It is only for explosives experts to assess the condition and type of these bombs. Furthermore, no detailed information is available on the spread or size of this area, but the Icelandic Coast Guard has drawn the map below for information. In this area, responders and others must stay at marked walking trails. This danger is highlighted by signs that have been standing at the beginning of walking routes for decades. Locals and outdoors people who have walked around the area are known. It is necessary to raise awareness of these facts. It is the police chief's recommendation to tourists and those who provide information to foreign tourists to communicate this information to tourists. Travelers must stay at marked walking routes and trails. There are no organized parking spaces nor any viewing facilities. Drivers do not park cars on and around Reykjanesbraut. The same applies to Grindavíkurvegur.

Conditions inside and outside of danger zones can change with little notice. In addition, dangers can be hidden outside the designated areas.

To raise awareness of the dangers, three warning whistles have been set up in Grindavík. One at the Blue Lagoon and another at HS energy in Svartsengi. They have been used with good results.

Emergency responders are working in Grindavík and police and firefighters are carrying out mandatory checks in the town as has been the case.

Useful information is on the website of the town of Grindavík on the site, then it is pointed to the website of the Icelandic Met Office on the site and the website of Civil Protection on the site.

Those who are visiting a danger zone are advised to visit the website of the Environment Agency of Iceland, at the following address: It also contains good instructions. Information is also available on the website of the Directorate of Health, at the following address: and the website of the Administration of Occupational Safety and Health, at the following address:

The press release will be updated by 5 April 2025 at the latest.

This is hereby announced.