A volcano has erupted in Iceland about 40km (25 miles) from the capital Reykjavik, the Icelandic meteorological office has said, as a red cloud lit up the night sky and a no-fly zone was established in the area. “Volcanic eruption has begun in Fagradalsfjall,” it said in a tweet on Friday night, referring to a mountain located about 30km south-west of the capital. Police and coastguard officials raced to the scene late on Friday and the public has been advised to stay away from the area. The Krysuvik volcanic system, which does not have a central volcano, is located south of Mount Fagradalsfjall on the Reykjanes peninsula in south-west Iceland. “The first notification was received by the Meteorological Office at 2140 GMT. The eruption was confirmed through webcams and satellite images,” the institute said on its website. While Iceland’s Keflavik international airport, the country’s largest, and the small fishing port of Grindavik are only a few kilometres away, the area is uninhabited and the eruption is not expected to present any danger. Volcanic eruptions in the region are known as effusive eruptions, where lava flows steadily out of the ground, as opposed to explosive ones which spew ash clouds high into the sky. However, all flights in and out of the airport have been halted. The Krysuvik volcanic system has been inactive for the past 900 years, according to the meteorological office, while the last eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula dates back almost 800 years to 1240. But the region has been under increased surveillance for several weeks after an earthquake of magnitude 5.7 was registered on 24 February on the outskirts of Reykjavik, followed by an unusual number of smaller tremors – more than 50,000, the highest number since digital recordings began in 1991.