In a case of déjà vu, a volcano in southwestern Iceland erupted for the second time in less than a month on Sunday, posing a significant threat to the nearby community of Grindavik. The eruption, which began early in the morning, was preceded by a series of small earthquakes that prompted authorities to evacuate the town. As the eruption unfolded, lava began snaking its way towards the homes, causing at least one property to catch fire.

Grindavik, a town of 3,800 residents located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of Reykjavik, had previously been evacuated in November last year due to a string of earthquakes that created large cracks in the earth near Sýlingarfell, a nearby mountain. The eruption that eventually occurred on December 18 led to the temporary closure of the popular Blue Lagoon geothermal spa.

Since the earlier eruption, defensive walls had been constructed around the volcano in an attempt to redirect the flow of lava away from the community. However, the barriers built to the north of Grindavik have now been breached, and lava is steadily advancing towards the town, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office. Residents are left with no other option than to helplessly watch the situation unfold through cameras.

"This continues to surprise us," remarked Benedikt Ófeigsson of the meteorological office. He further added, "Things were slowing down after the eruption started, but about half an hour or an hour ago they started to pick up speed again. We are no longer seeing a slowdown in the town."

Iceland, which sits above a volcanic hot spot in the North Atlantic, experiences an average of one eruption every four to five years. The most significant eruption in recent memory was in 2010 when the Eyjafjallajokull volcano spewed ash into the atmosphere, disrupting transatlantic air travel for several months. However, the current eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula is not expected to release significant amounts of ash into the air and operations at Keflavík Airport are continuing without major interruptions.

It is worth noting that the Svartsengi volcano, encompassing the broader area, had remained dormant for around 780 years before last month's eruption. Just a few kilometers away, Fagradalsfjall volcano had been dormant for 6,000 years before bursting into life in March 2021. The latest eruption is reported to be more powerful than previous volcanic activities in recent years.

Authorities and scientists are closely monitoring the situation as they work to assess the potential impact on the community and strategize further measures to safeguard residents from the advancing lava flow.