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Iceland Evacuates Town, Raises Aviation Alert Over Volcano Eruption Concerns

(FILES) The red shimmer from magma flowing out from the erupting Fagradalsfjall volcano behind the landmark Blue Lagoon, some 45 km west of the Icelandic capital Reykjavik, on March 19, 2021. (Photo by Halldor KOLBEINS / AFP)
(FILES) The red shimmer from magma flowing out from the erupting Fagradalsfjall volcano behind the landmark Blue Lagoon, some 45 km west of the Icelandic capital Reykjavik, on March 19, 2021. (Photo by Halldor KOLBEINS / AFP)
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Iceland Evacuates Town, Raises Aviation Alert Over Volcano Eruption Concerns

(FILES) The red shimmer from magma flowing out from the erupting Fagradalsfjall volcano behind the landmark Blue Lagoon, some 45 km west of the Icelandic capital Reykjavik, on March 19, 2021. (Photo by Halldor KOLBEINS / AFP)
(FILES) The red shimmer from magma flowing out from the erupting Fagradalsfjall volcano behind the landmark Blue Lagoon, some 45 km west of the Icelandic capital Reykjavik, on March 19, 2021. (Photo by Halldor KOLBEINS / AFP)

Residents of a fishing town in southwestern Iceland left their homes Saturday after increasing concern about a potential volcanic eruption caused civil defense authorities to declare a state of emergency in the region.
Police decided to evacuate Grindavik after recent seismic activity in the area moved south toward the town and monitoring indicated that a corridor of magma, or semi-molten rock, now extends under the community, Iceland’s Meteorological Office said. The town of 3,400 is on the Reykjanes Peninsula, about 50 kilometers southwest of the capital, Reykjavik.
“At this stage, it is not possible to determine exactly whether and where magma might reach the surface,” The Associated Press quoted the Meteorological Office as saying.
Authorities also raised their aviation alert to orange, indicating an increased risk of a volcanic eruption. Volcanic eruptions pose a serious hazard to aviation because they can spew highly abrasive ash high into the atmosphere, where it can cause jet engines to fail, damage flight control systems and reduce visibility.
A major eruption in Iceland in 2010 caused widespread disruption to air travel between Europe and North America, costing airlines an estimated $3 billion as they canceled more than 100,000 flights.
The evacuation comes after the region was shaken by hundreds of small earthquakes every day for more than two weeks as scientists monitor a buildup of magma some 5 kilometers underground.
Concern about a possible eruption increased in the early hours of Thursday when a magnitude 4.8 earthquake hit the area, forcing the internationally known Blue Lagoon geothermal resort to close temporarily.
The seismic activity started in an area north of Grindavik where there is a network of 2,000-year-old craters, geology professor Pall Einarrson, told Iceland’s RUV. The magma corridor is about 10 kilometers long and spreading, he said.

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Varieties

Drones Spot Sharks 73 Times in Two Days off Sydney Beaches

This underwater photograph shows a tiger shark at a depth of 20 meters off Providencia Island, in the Colombian Caribbean Sea, on November 17, 2025. (AFP)
This underwater photograph shows a tiger shark at a depth of 20 meters off Providencia Island, in the Colombian Caribbean Sea, on November 17, 2025. (AFP)
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Drones Spot Sharks 73 Times in Two Days off Sydney Beaches

This underwater photograph shows a tiger shark at a depth of 20 meters off Providencia Island, in the Colombian Caribbean Sea, on November 17, 2025. (AFP)
This underwater photograph shows a tiger shark at a depth of 20 meters off Providencia Island, in the Colombian Caribbean Sea, on November 17, 2025. (AFP)

New dawn-to-dusk drone patrols of Sydney's beaches spotted sharks 73 times in the first two days, forcing multiple closures, data obtained by AFP showed on Friday.

Authorities launched the expanded drone program on Wednesday to protect beachgoers after a spate of shark attacks in Sydney and further across New South Wales.

Data from Surf Life Saving NSW, which runs the program, showed 73 shark sightings in greater Sydney by drone pilots on Wednesday and Thursday, with the greatest concentration at beaches north of the city, where 67 reports were made.

The drones only report bull, tiger and white sharks, species considered most likely to attack humans.

Lifesavers say it is likely some sharks are being spotted multiple times as they move through the ocean. But one group of 13 sharks swimming together was reported at a single beach at northern Sydney's South Narrabeen on Wednesday.

"Having so many drones out all day, they are picking up everything," said Surf Life Saving New South Wales spokeswoman Donna Wishart.

- 'Scared and paranoid' -

At northern Sydney's Dee Why Salty Surf School, owner Dan O'Connell was 15 minutes into a surf lesson on Friday when a drone spotted a shark near the beach and lifesavers evacuated the water for the second time that day.

O'Connell had just succeeded in coaxing his students into the ocean by telling them a shark was unlikely to venture near the knee-high water where they were practicing board moves.

"They were already scared and paranoid because the beach had been closed," he told AFP.

Drones made three shark sightings on Thursday at Dee Why Beach, with another sighting on Friday morning closing the beach for an hour before it reopened, only to close again.

Expecting beach closures will increase, O'Connell is diversifying his business to offer skateboarding lessons at the nearby carpark.

- 'Fairweather surfers' -

School groups had cancelled surf lessons after a child was killed by a shark in Sydney Harbour in January, and a woman was mauled at popular Coogee Beach last month.

"It has been really hard," he said.

"We will lose a percentage of fairweather surfers because they will feel paranoia more than the enjoyment they get from the ocean."

Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins told AFP millions of visitors are attracted to Sydney's coast each year, and the drones support safety.

"Naturally, increased surveillance will mean increased sightings," she said.

A surfer was killed by a shark on a northern Sydney beach in September.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said on Sunday that swimmers and surfers "will have to get used to" leaving the water as the world's biggest drone surveillance program ramps up.

"It is almost certain that sharks have always been present," said shark expert Daryl McPhee, an associate professor of environmental science at Bond University, who expects the high number of beach closures to continue for several weeks.

White sharks roam large distances but may "take up residence" where prey is abundant, he said, noting an increase in humpback whale populations and salmon.

"The sightings over the last couple of days have increased due to the increased drone spotting effort which is occurring at a time when conditions are right for coastal food resources of white sharks to be abundant."

There have been nearly 1,300 shark incidents around Australia since 1791, of which more than 260 resulted in death, according to a database of shark encounters with humans.

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France Deaths Rose by 30% During Heatwave

This photograph shows a fire in mountain ranges during a wildfire in Pouzols-Minervois, southwestern France on July 2, 2026. (AFP)
This photograph shows a fire in mountain ranges during a wildfire in Pouzols-Minervois, southwestern France on July 2, 2026. (AFP)
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France Deaths Rose by 30% During Heatwave

This photograph shows a fire in mountain ranges during a wildfire in Pouzols-Minervois, southwestern France on July 2, 2026. (AFP)
This photograph shows a fire in mountain ranges during a wildfire in Pouzols-Minervois, southwestern France on July 2, 2026. (AFP)

France endured a rise of nearly 30 percent in the number of deaths recorded during the week of June 22, the peak of a record-breaking heatwave that battered the country, the public health authority said Friday.

Public Health France said in a new report there had been "an increase of 29.1 percent, corresponding to 2,025 additional deaths compared with the previous week" while noting that the figure was probably "an underestimate".

The number of deaths increased by 62 percent in the Paris region during the week starting 22 June, the report said. A similar spike has been reported in the Pays de la Loire region.

Some French politicians have denounced what they call the authorities' inadequate measures to help France face rising temperatures. The Greens on Thursday filed a no-confidence motion against the government of Sebastien Lecornu.

In June, France experienced a record-breaking heatwave which lasted around 11 days and saw temperatures climb above 40C in many places.

Around 15,000 people died in France during a severe heatwave in 2003, with many elderly people dying in nursing homes.

The June heatwave is considered more intense, but authorities say its consequences have been less severe.

"It will probably not be comparable," Health Minister Stephanie Rist said on Friday.

Nicolas Revel, director general of the Paris public hospital system, has said he expected the death toll from the June heatwave to be lower than that of 2003, but "probably" higher than an episode last year that claimed 5,700 lives.

Varieties

El Nino Set to Be Strong, UN Warns

El Nino warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. MARTIN BERNETTI / AFP
El Nino warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. MARTIN BERNETTI / AFP
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El Nino Set to Be Strong, UN Warns

El Nino warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. MARTIN BERNETTI / AFP
El Nino warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. MARTIN BERNETTI / AFP

El Nino will quickly develop into a strong event between July and September, fueling the likelihood of extreme weather, the United Nations' weather and climate agency warned Friday.

The World Meteorological Organization said El Nino had already set in, and would quickly gain strength, as it warned countries to brace for impact, reported AFP.

El Nino is a natural climate phenomenon that warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, bringing worldwide changes in winds, pressure and rainfall patterns.

It typically takes place every two to seven years and lasts around nine to 12 months.

Conditions oscillate between El Nino and its opposite La Nina, with neutral conditions in between.

The WMO's monthly Global Seasonal Climate Update points towards "a rapid development into a strong El Nino event during July-September".

The UN agency classifies El Nino events as weak, moderate, strong or very strong, meaning it is set to reach the third-highest level out of four.

"El Nino conditions have developed in the tropical Pacific and are forecast to strengthen rapidly over the coming months, increasing the likelihood of... extreme weather events in many parts of the world," the WMO said.

- Heatwave risks -

The Geneva-based agency said that forecasts produced by leading global climate centers, using different models, indicate a consistent and significant warming of ocean temperatures across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific.

"Seasonal-average sea-surface temperature anomalies expected to exceed 2C in key monitoring regions," it said.

The models show "remarkable agreement, providing high confidence in the outlook", the WMO said.

"El Nino is expected to continue strengthening during the Northern Hemisphere autumn, with its influence extending across many regions of the globe.

"Meanwhile, the equatorial Atlantic basin is expected to remain generally warmer than average."

The last El Nino contributed to making 2023 the second-hottest year on record and 2024 the all-time high at around 1.55C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average.

While El Nino usually peaks between November and February, the resulting spike in temperatures typically comes later down the line.

"El Nino conditions are already under way and are forecast to strengthen rapidly into a strong event," said WMO chief Celeste Saulo.

"This will intensify the chances of drought and heavy rainfall and the risk of heatwaves on land and marine heatwaves in many regions."

The WMO said it was stepping up early warning support to help guide preparedness, especially in climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture and health.

"Advanced seasonal forecasts and early warnings are vital to save lives and cushion the impact on our economies and our communities," said Saulo.

- Temperature impact -

The update predicts an overwhelming likelihood of above-average temperatures across most land areas between 60 degrees south and 60 degrees north -- covering nearly all populated areas outside the polar regions.

And the July to September rainfall outlook is consistent with a strengthening El Nino, with above-normal rainfall forecast in some areas such as portions of the southwestern United States, and below normal forecast across the Indian subcontinent and much of Australia.

The WMO says there is no evidence that climate change increases the frequency or intensity of El Nino events.

However, the agency believes it can amplify the associated effects, because a warmer ocean and atmosphere increase the availability of energy and moisture for extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and heavy rainfall.

During the northern hemisphere summer, warm waters associated with El Nino can fuel hurricanes in the central and eastern Pacific, while hindering their development in the Atlantic Ocean.