Iceland volcano erupts on Reykjanes peninsula

A volcano has erupted on the Reykjanes peninsula of south-west Iceland after weeks of intense earthquake activity.

About 4,000 people were evacuated from the fishing town of Grindavik last month.

The eruption started north of the town at 22:17 local time (22:17 GMT) on Monday, the Icelandic Met Office said.

A resident living near Grindavik described "crazy" and "scary" scenes that night, and said she could still see the volcano exploding on Tuesday.

Iceland has been braced for volcanic activity for weeks. Since late October, the region around the capital Reykjavik has been experiencing an increase in earthquake activity.

The eruption can be seen from Reykjavik, which is about 42km (26 miles) north-east of Grindavik.