‘It surprised the scientists’: Grindavík residents in limbo after powerful eruption

Grindavik residents had been preparing to spend Christmas back at home after being evacuated

Until just after 10pm on Monday, when the earth opened up and spat out an otherworldly 4km-long wall of lava, Sigrun Isdal had been planning to spend Christmas at home in Grindavik with her family. Like many residents of the fishing town on Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula, who were all evacuated on 10 November, she had been preparing to move back after more than a month spent in the limbo of temporary accommodation.

Isdal, who works at Grindavik sports centre, had even been in the town briefly on Monday evening to pick up a few possessions, as residents have recently been allowed to do. There was just good weather and I didn't see anything," she said.