Today was a beautiful, sunny day in Iceland. Tourists stranded here by the Eyjafjallajökull ash cloud and Icelanders were happily strolling the streets of Reykjavík. Others took their car, or rented one, to get as close as possible to the volcano, as we did yesterday (check our photos here). Traffic on IcelandChronicles.com was high, with people visiting mostly from North America and UK, and overall from more than 90 countries. So, thank you for visiting us.
Chaos in the airports caused by the evil ash cloud will continue until Monday. Some countries, like Germany, are conducting test flights or resumed some internal flights. Our Air Traffic Disruption Map, updated today, is still valid. Just note that also countries still in green are experiencing major disruptions, with most flights to Europe being cancelled, as a result of closure of air space anywhere else around them.
To be clear, the volcano is still erupting, and winds are still carrying ashes southward and east. The Icelandic Met Office and most local commentators are constantly repeating that, for the time being, there is no way of predicting the duration of the eruption. Earthquakes in the Eyjafjallajökull area diminished in intensity and frequency, but this could just be temporary.
The ash cloud (this U.K. Met Office map is the source for most of the maps you can find around the web or on TV, so if you go there you will know first) has been confirmed to contain fluorine, which is toxic to animals and humans. But how dangerous the ash cloud can be to humans depends on so many global and local factors – wind, temperature, concentration – that it is impossible to generalize. Of course, ashes in the surroundings of the volcano, in Iceland, are very dangerous – people still in the area have been asked to wear goggles and masks if they go out of their house, while the Civil Protection invites not to consider the eruption a tourist attraction – but those living in other countries affected by the ash cloud should not be too concerned, for now. Effects on humans that come into contact with the ash should be temporary, but people with existing respiratory conditions (you know, this is pure common sense) should be more careful than others, as ashes could worsen their conditions. This said, composition of ashes might vary according to the affected areas; for example, ash particles analyzed in the Shetland Islands by Health Protection Scotland were not harmful to humans or livestock. So, refer to your local authorities when in doubt. If you see a dusty haze and you are not drunk, smell rotten eggs while your fridge is closed, or smell an “acidic smell” away from Scratchy‘s litter, then it is likely that the ash cloud has reached your area. If you notice symptoms like “itchy or irritated eyes, runny nose, sore throat or dry cough”, then it’s time to return indoors, and maybe watch one of the many McGyver episodes where he produced a gas mask from everyday items (episode 16, season 3, I am told).