LA Palma is an island off Spain in the North Atlantic Ocean that is a tourist hotspot for Brits and has an active volcano.
It has stunning beaches with sun, hiking trails and an active volcano.
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Where is La Palma?
It is part of the Canary Islands, which are situated off the northern coast of Africa.
It is located in the Santa Cruz de Tenerife province and boasts a volcanic caldera measuring 6 miles in circumference. This caldera was designated a national park.
Brits flock to the island every summer as it is a popular tourist destination.
A direct flight from London takes less than four-and-a half hours. They regularly depart from the capital each day.
La Palma’s largest exports include bananas and tomatoes as well as embroidery.
What was the volcanic eruption like?
La Palma’s Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted September 19, 2021. It is still exploding.
A September 11th earthquake at the volcano’s base caused the most recent explosion. It slowly migrated up to the surface.
More than 20,000 earthquakes were registered in one week, Reuters reports, sending lava shooting into the air and streaming in rivers towards houses in two villages in the south of the island.
The authorities started evacuating the elderly and some farm animals at 3:15pm local.
Two hours later, the lava from five fissures poured down the hillside, causing the evacuation of El Paso de Aridane and Los Llanos de Aridane.
Nighttime video footage shows lava spewing hundreds of metres high into the sky, with at least three lava-deluged rivers molten rock rushing down the hill.
Angel Victor Torres from the Canary Islands stated that around 5,000 people had been evacuated. He said no injuries had been reported.
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When has the volcano previously erupted?
Cumbre Vieja was erupted twice in the past: once in 1949 and again, in 1971.
The first eruption was on June 24, 1949. It lasted over a week.
A shepard was watching his flock from a flank of the volcano mountainside when the eruption began. It was also caused by earthquakes.
The southern end of Cumbre Vieja was the site of the 1971 eruption.