Icelandic town evacuated after huge volcanic eruption

The lava has reportedly breached defenses

The volcano started erupting at about 3:00 GMT after seismic activity increased overnight. The southwestern Icelandic town of Grindavik was evacuated early on Sunday morning as lava started flowing from the volcano.

The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) said in a statement: ""According to the first images from the coast guard's surveillance flight, a crack has opened up on both sides of the dikes that have begun to be built north of Grindavik."

Iceland's public broadcaster RUV says it is not clear which direction the lava is flowing.

Kristin Jonsdottir from the IMO, told the broadcaster that lava is flowing towards Grindavik and is just "400 to 500 metres" north of the town.

Although Grindavik has barriers of earth and rock to prevent lava reaching the town, it appears the lava has penetrated these defences, Sky News reports.

All 4,000 of its inhabitants have been evacuated.

Iceland is one of the most volcanically active countries in the world, and has 33 active volcano systems thanks to its position on the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.

These plates are two of the largest on the planet and move in opposite directions, causing seismic activity.

On average, the country experiences a volcanic eruption every four to five years.

The most disruptive of recent times was the 2010 of Eyjafjallajokull. This eruption spewed huge ash clouds into the sky, grounding planes and flights across Europe for days.

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