"thorn" wrote in message
...
People in south east part of Iceland are advised to wear dust masks
outside and to heat their houses more than usual, to keep the volcano
ash at bay.
The area has been blacked out, like on some dark winter day.
The ash is very bad for livestock, and now in spring it is a blow for
farmers in the area, they have to keep their animals mostly inside,
and feed them on fresh hay.
The main roads and bridges on the south coast where sweept away
yesterday and fresh floods are sprawling out of the glacier every now
and then.

The wind will turn to north east tomorrow and the ash will propably
blow out to the open sea.
Or if the wind turns to the east, it will blow towards Reykjavik like
last time when the volcano eurupted in 1821, then it blew ash and lava
for 2 years.
The ash somehow of mixed orgin, both light brown or just black.
Today it has been falling in the Faroe islands.

And when the big sister volcano Katla wakes up, then it can
wreck some bigger havoc than this.
And it has always done that 1 or 2 years after Eyjafjallajökull
since 920.

Thor, Reykjavik.

Thor

A fascinating account that I find all the more absorbing because
I have travelled through that stunning coastal scenery with its jet-
black sandy beaches, spectacular waterfalls and the backdrop of
ice-capped mountains between Reykjavik and the hamlet of Vik
near the southern tip of Iceland. Ironically, Reykjavik may well
be less affected than we are in England with the wind taking the
ash away from the capital.

A couple of questions for you.

The main coast road, Route 1, is reportedly broken up in 3 places
to allow the increased floodwaters of the Markarfljot river out of
Thorsmork, to run through the gaps in order to preserve the bridge.
How are people managing to reach Vik from, say, Hella? Is there
a temporary ferry service or are they being diverted around the back
of Mt. Hekla and through the touristy Landmannalaugar region?

Having just mentioned Hekla, isn't that volcano (as well as Katla,
"the Kettle") due to blow its top? I seem to recall learning about
Hekla erupting fairly regularly every 10 years. Having last blown
in 2000 and previously in 1991, this could become a particularly
active year for Icelandic volcanic activity!

Nigel