A volcano in the southwestern portion of Iceland erupted on Monday after weeks of increased and intense seismic activity, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office.

In a post on X, the Icelandic Met Office said the eruption started at about 10:17 p.m. local time, after an “earthquake swarm” that began an hour and 15 minutes prior.

The volcano is located about 3 km north of the fishing town of Grindavik, which has a population of less than 4,000 people.

Reuters reported that authorities evacuated the inhabitants of Grindavik and closed the nearby Blue Lagoon geothermal spa out of fear of a significant outbreak on the Reykjanes peninsula.

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