Dramatic moment Iceland volcano erupts ‘without warning’ AGAIN as lava spews hundreds of feet into air

ANOTHER volcanic eruption has shaken Iceland, the fissure sending fountains of bright orange lava into the night sky without warning.

A state of emergency has been declared on the Reykjanes peninsula just south of Iceland's capital Reykjavik.

The sky is coloured orange as molten lava flows out from a fissure on the Reykjanes peninsula north of the evacuated town of Grindavik, western IcelandCredit: AFP

It is the fourth "alarming" volcanic eruption in three months.

Video of the area showed fountains of molten rock burst from fissures in the ground.

"Warning: An eruption began in Reykjanes," the Icelandic Meteorological Office said on its website.

A helicopter was dispatched by the Civil Defence authority to survey the extent of the eruption as Icelandic police declared a state of emergency.

Reykjavik's Keflavik Airport's website said it remained open for both departures and arrivals.

But the nearby Blue Lagoon luxury geothermal spa immediately shut its doors, as it did during previous eruptions.

The operator stated on its website: "We have evacuated and temporarily closed all our operational units.

"We will remain closed through Sunday, March 17.

"Further updates and information will be provided here as they become available."

There are more than 30 active volcanoes on the north European island.

In 2010, the Eyafjallajokull volcano erupted in the south of Iceland, spreading ash clouds over Europe, grounding some 100,000 flights, and forcing hundreds of Icelanders to evacuate their homes.

Volcanic outbreaks in the Reykjanes peninsula do not usually cause large explosions or significant dispersal of ash into the stratosphere.

But scientists fear they could continue for decades, and Icelandic authorities have started building embankments to divert flowing lava away from homes and critical infrastructure.

The volcano last erupted in early February.

More than 20,000 people were cut off from district heating as flowing lava destroyed roads and pipelines.

Several houses in a fishing town were burned to the ground in January after an eruption.