Toxic gas cloud from Iceland volcano reaches UK

Plume of gas sweeping across the country is being monitored, Met Office says

A toxic gas cloud spewed by a volcanic eruption in Iceland is due to pass over the UK, after sweeping across northern Scotland.

The Met Office has said it is monitoring the cloud of sulphur dioxide, with the “plume” of gas understood to have begun passing over the country early on Sunday morning.

It was released high into the atmosphere by a volcano in the Icelandic region of Grindavik, and should have “little influence on ground-level air quality”, the Met Office has said.

Sulphur dioxide is a colourless gas with a strong smell which is commonly released in coal burning and other refining or manufacturing processes.

The gas can cause irritation to the throat, nausea, stomach pain and vomiting if inhaled in high quantities.

The Met Office said “small concentrations” of the compound mean UK air pollution should remain low.

A volcano erupts near Vogar, Iceland on 22 August (Reuters)

A Met Office spokesperson said: “A sulphur dioxide plume which originated from the volcano in Iceland has been crossing the UK high up in the atmosphere and will soon clear to the southeast.

“Impacts have been low from this sulphur dioxide, as it is high in the atmosphere and is having little influence on ground-level air quality.

“Small concentrations at surface level mean that the air pollution levels remain low.

“Air pollution is currently low and expected to remain that way for the whole of the UK today.

“We’re continuing to monitor any sulphur dioxide release originating from Iceland, with current forecasts suggesting little influence on UK surface air pollution in the coming days.”

A volcano in southwest Iceland erupted for the sixth time since December on Thursday, spewing red lava and accompanied by strong earthquakes.

On Sunday 26 August, an ice cave collapsed during a tourist visit, leaving one person dead and two still missing. Authorities say that an ice canyon gave way in the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier when a group of 25 tourists were exploring the cave.

The search is continuing, with police confirming the two missing people are thought to still be trapped in the cave.