La Palma eruption enters 'new explosive phase' as scientists change their minds to warn lava might NEVER reach the sea - increasing the destruction on land with 320 homes already burned up and the bill topping £340million

 La Palma's erupting volcano has entered a 'new explosive phase' with more ash and smoke being thrown into the air amid warnings that the lava flow might never reach the sea - increasing its destructive force on land.

Volcanologists on the Spanish island said there is more 'explosive activity' around the crater today, blanketing nearby neighbourhoods with ash, which comes after the force of the eruption reached unprecedented heights overnight - with chunks of lava being thrown up to 1,300 ft in the air.

Seismic activity also increased overnight, the National Geographic Institute said, with strong tremors detected that caused part of the crater to collapse, along with a 30cm bulge in the island's surface that typically indicates molten rock building up underground.

Meanwhile scientists monitoring the lava flow on land warned it might never reach the sea - having previously forecast it to do so on Tuesday - and may instead pool on land, destroying more homes and farmland.

Some 320 buildings and 370 acres have already been swallowed up by the lava, with officials warning 1,000 homes and 1,000 acres are still at risk. Angel Víctor Torres, the president of La Palma island, warned the final bill for damages is likely to exceed £340million.

The warning came after a dramatic slow-down in the speed of the lava as it piles up and overflows natural channels, meaning it is spreading out like a pancake instead of flowing to the coast.

Piles of lava are now accumulating up to 40ft tall, observers said, compared to just 20ft two days ago. The increased height also adds to the lava's destructive power, because it can easily overwhelm even tall buildings.La Palma's erupting volcano entered a 'new explosive phase' today with more ash and smoke belching from the crater along with chunks of lava that were thrown up to 1,300ft in the air (pictured overnight, when activity peaked)

La Palma's erupting volcano entered a 'new explosive phase' today with more ash and smoke belching from the crater along with chunks of lava that were thrown up to 1,300ft in the air (pictured overnight, when activity peaked)

Millions of gallons of lava are inching their way towards the island's west coast, burning their way through homes and hundreds of acres of valuable farmland in the process

Millions of gallons of lava are inching their way towards the island's west coast, burning their way through homes and hundreds of acres of valuable farmland in the process

Experts have warned that the eruption - which is the first to take place on the island in 50 years - is likely to last for weeks and possibly months, causing widespread damage

Experts have warned that the eruption - which is the first to take place on the island in 50 years - is likely to last for weeks and possibly months, causing widespread damage

A thick plume of smoke and ash is seen rising into the sky from the volcano, which has now entered a 'new phase' of its eruption, according to scientists studying it

A thick plume of smoke and ash is seen rising into the sky from the volcano, which has now entered a 'new phase' of its eruption, according to scientists studying it

The 'explosive' phase has also been accompanied by an uptick in seismic activity at the crater, which caused part of it to collapse overnight Tuesday

The 'explosive' phase has also been accompanied by an uptick in seismic activity at the crater, which caused part of it to collapse overnight Tuesday

Ash and smoke have been rising high into the sky over La Palma today, before raining down on nearby homes

Ash and smoke have been rising high into the sky over La Palma today, before raining down on nearby homes

La Palma's president has warned that the total bill for damages is likely to exceed £340million, though it could be weeks before the actual total becomes clear

La Palma's president has warned that the total bill for damages is likely to exceed £340million, though it could be weeks before the actual total becomes clearRaúl Pérez, of the Geological Mining Institute of Spain, explained to El Pais: 'It is possible that it reaches the sea if there is enough emission, but the lava flows have been cooling for two days. It might or might not.'

José Mangas, professor of geology at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, compared the built-up lava to a 'steamroller' saying it will leave 'scars on the territory, which can last for thousands and even millions of years.'

In an effort to help the lava towards the ocean and away from houses, firefighters dug artificial channels and piled earth up around the lava flow overnight.  

'We do not know if it will work,' the firefighters wrote in a Facebook post. 'But we have to try.'   

The lava stream is also threatening vast areas of farmland that crews can do little to save, with La Vanguardia reporting that some 1,000 acres could be destroyed by the time the eruption finishes - which volcanologists say may not happen for several weeks, if not months.

The region that has been hit by the eruption is sparsely populated, but is covered with crop-land including some of La Palma's largest banana plantations.

Bananas are the island's largest export with a fifth of the total supply now under direct threat. Even trees that are not burned up are likely to become unproductive because they cannot be watered or accessed to harvest.

Domingo Martín, head of the La Palma banana grower's association, described the situation as 'a tragedy' - while the head of the local chamber of commerce said it will spark an 'economic debacle'.

Sunday's eruption took place on a ridge known as Cumbre Vieja, which is notorious as an area of high volcanic activity and has played host to every eruption on the island since the 1600s.

It began around 3pm when a cluster of earthquakes split the ground in an area known as Cabeza de Vaca on the western slope of the volcanic ridge as it descends to the coast, with three fissures spewing out lava. People watch the erupting volcano from a nearby vantage point, as police warn that tourists should stay well away in case they hamper evacuation efforts or get too close to the lava

People watch the erupting volcano from a nearby vantage point, as police warn that tourists should stay well away in case they hamper evacuation efforts or get too close to the lava

Scientists have admitted that lava flowing from the volcano may never reach the ocean as it piles up on land instead, which would increase the number of homes and amount of farmland destroyed

Scientists have admitted that lava flowing from the volcano may never reach the ocean as it piles up on land instead, which would increase the number of homes and amount of farmland destroyed

Smoke rises from a flow of lava (pictured rear) which is inching its way through the Todoque area of La Palma at a rate of 400ft per hour, having slowed down considerably since the eruption began

Smoke rises from a flow of lava (pictured rear) which is inching its way through the Todoque area of La Palma at a rate of 400ft per hour, having slowed down considerably since the eruption began

Observers say the lava has slowed because it is spreading over a much wider area than predicted, with rivers up to 20ft tall overflowing natural channels that would have directed it to the ocean

Observers say the lava has slowed because it is spreading over a much wider area than predicted, with rivers up to 20ft tall overflowing natural channels that would have directed it to the ocean

A house is pictured moments before being consumed by lava from the erupting volcano, which experts say could continue to erupt for weeks - and possibly months

A house is pictured moments before being consumed by lava from the erupting volcano, which experts say could continue to erupt for weeks - and possibly months

The roof of a house is barely visible after being consumed by a river of molten rock on Spain's La Palma island

The roof of a house is barely visible after being consumed by a river of molten rock on Spain's La Palma island

Firefighters watch helplessly as a river of lava burns its way through the countryside on the island of La Palma

Firefighters watch helplessly as a river of lava burns its way through the countryside on the island of La Palma

Another powerful tremor overnight Monday then opened a fourth crack, which began belching out molten rock shortly afterwards.

Some 6,000 of the island's 80,000 inhabitants have so-far been evacuated from their homes, with 35,000 under emergency warning orders.

Fortunately, earthquake activity in the days leading up to the initial eruption meant scientists and officials were well-prepared with evacuations taking place quickly and meaning that no casualties have been reported so-far.  

Nemesio Perez, Director of the Volcanology Institute of the Canaries (INVOLCAN) said just over a week ago as he assured locals and holidaymakers in the area they could go about their everyday lives: 'In 80 per cent of cases, these processes remain underground and do not result in a volcanic eruption.'

'We're moving from a situation of normality to one of alert.

'We're recognising a change in seismic activity and recommending to the population that they pay attention to information issued by the authorities.'

Mr Perez also explained the three factors that had played a part in the decision to go from green to yellow, saying they included the increased number of tremors and the fact they were occurring nearer the earth's surface at an average of around seven miles underground instead of 12.

In a social media post INVOLCAN said early last week following a swarm of small earthquakes: 'In the past few years the Cumbre Vieja volcano has seen 10 earthquake swarms, including the one that began on Saturday September 11.

'There is no doubt the current swarm represents a significant change in activity.'

Seismic activity in the south of the island of La Palma has been 'anomalous' since 2017, with eight earthquake swarms recorded since the summer of 2020.

La Palma is one of the westernmost and youngest islands of the Canary archipelago along with El Hierro.

Residents remove their belongings from their houses as they are evacuated from their village in Los Llanos, on La Palma

Residents remove their belongings from their houses as they are evacuated from their village in Los Llanos, on La Palma

A fireman removes belongings from a home in the village of Todoque after people were told to evacuate as lava approached

A fireman removes belongings from a home in the village of Todoque after people were told to evacuate as lava approached

Police and fire vehicles are seen on a road in the town of Todoque as residents are evacuated with lava nearing their homes

Police and fire vehicles are seen on a road in the town of Todoque as residents are evacuated with lava nearing their homes

A policeman directs traffic in the town of Todoque as people evacuate in the face of a river of lava that is devouring homes

A policeman directs traffic in the town of Todoque as people evacuate in the face of a river of lava that is devouring homes

A woman carries a drawer during an evacuation process as Mount Cumbre Vieja continues to erupt in El Paso, spewing out columns of smoke, ash and lava

A woman carries a drawer during an evacuation process as Mount Cumbre Vieja continues to erupt in El Paso, spewing out columns of smoke, ash and lava

Ana Rodriguez cleans a car following the eruption of a volcano on the Island of La Palma, in Los Llanos de Aridane

Ana Rodriguez cleans a car following the eruption of a volcano on the Island of La Palma, in Los Llanos de Aridane

Nancy Ferrero sweeps ashes following the eruption of a volcano on the Island of La Palma

Nancy Ferrero sweeps ashes following the eruption of a volcano on the Island of La Palma

The island, the first largest of the Canary Islands, is regarded as one of the highest potential risks in the volcanic archipelago and therefore in-depth studies to define its state of unrest are seen as vital.

La Palma is said to be at potential risk of undergoing a large landslide which could cause a tsunami in the Atlantic Ocean.

A 2001 research article claimed a change in the eruptive activity of Cumbre Vieja volcano and a fracture on the volcano that formed during the 1949 eruption may be the prelude to a giant collapse.

Authors Steven N Ward and Simon Day estimated such a collapse could cause tsunamis across the entire North Atlantic and severely impact countries as far away as North America.

Later research has debated whether the tsunami would still have a significant size far away from La Palma and whether the collapse is likely to take place in a single failure, with evidence indicating most collapses in the Canary Islands took place as multistage events that are not as effective at creating tsunamis.

The volcano that erupted on Sunday rises around 1.2 miles above sea level and 3.7 miles above the seafloor.

It is described as the fastest growing volcano in the archipelago and therefore dangerous in terms of collapses and landslides.

La Palma's total population at the end of 2020 was just over 85,000, with nearly 16,000 registered as living in the capital Santa Cruz de la Palma and more than 20,000 in Los Llanos de Aridane.

Tourists are drawn to La Palma by its hiking trails, food, beaches with crystal-clear water, wonderful night skies and pleasant all-year-round temperatures.

Puerto Naos, one of the coastal towns the lava is said to be heading towards where around 500 tourists have been evacuated, is surrounded by banana plantations and is described as the 'ideal destination for visitors in search of peace and tranquility.'

As well as the main beach at Puerto Naos, there are other nearby coves that can also be explored before refuelling and recharging with the tasty local squid freshly prepared in the area.

The waters off of the coastline are also popular with diving enthusiasts.

The eruption is taking place in at Cumbre Vieja, an area that is notorious for volcanic activity - though the exact site where the lava is spewing from has never erupted before

The eruption is taking place in at Cumbre Vieja, an area that is notorious for volcanic activity - though the exact site where the lava is spewing from has never erupted before

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