Ash, which fell over the Westman Islands yesterday, is being carried up into the air with even the slightest of winds, according to residents of Heimaey (pictured below right) and has led to the closure of the island chain’s swimming facility. There has been little ashfall over the archipelago today, but with any slight movement of the wind, the ash becomes so disturbed that it becomes difficult for residents to see from one house to another.

A new outdoor area was opened at the Westman Islands Swimming Pool last week, but it has now become necessary to close it because of the ashfall, according to the website Eyjafréttir. It is unclear how long it will take to clean up the area, as it is covered in a tartan-like material which can take a long time to clean. When volcanic ash comes into contact with water, it turns into a thick sludge which becomes concrete when it dries out, fusing together and requiring heavy plant to remove some instances.

In addition to this, the deep pool, the childrens’ pool, the three hotpots and the waterslides will all need to be cleaned. For those of you unfamiliar with the cultural significance of the swimming pool in Iceland, think of this incident as akin to a local British pub or American bar being closed temporarily. Whilst the Westman islanders are sure to be more than peeved by the ash’s unwelcome presence, this will at least provide some temporary work for a bored teenage islander. Get scraping!

Source: mbl.is
Image: michaelclarke

Labels: Eyjafjallajökull, Westman Islands