Despite warnings to stay away from a volcano near Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, which erupted over the weekend, people have been flocking to see the lava flow down its slopes.

Volcanologists say the event remains “low intensity” for the moment, but the Icelandic Meteorological Office warned of dangerously high levels of volcanic gases close to the eruption.

Access to the site was closed on Monday evening.

Initial estimates indicate that its flow is significantly more powerful than the two previous eruptions on the Reykjanes peninsula in 2021 and 2022.

The uninhabited area 30 kilometres southwest of the capital had been dormant for eight centuries but has experienced a resurgence of volcanic activity in the last two years.