Photos capture Iceland’s powerful volcanic eruption

Following weeks of warning signs, including thousands of earthquakes, a volcano on southern Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula began erupting in spectacular fashion Monday night.

Iceland’s Meteorological Office said that the eruption opened an approximately 2.5-mile-long fissure, and created lava fountains up to 98 feet high.

Last month, the 3,400 residents of the fishing village of Grindavík, the town nearest the volcano, were evacuated in anticipation of the pending eruption.

The meteorological office noted Tuesday the southernmost point of the erupting volcano was about 1.86 miles from the town, and that the volcano’s intensity was weakening. The lava also appeared to be flowing away from Grindavík.

Here are some of the extraordinary images of the eruption: