The Met Office has issued an update on the “toxic gas cloud” moving over parts of the UK.

This happened as experts continued to monitor a sulphur dioxide cloud emanating from a volcano in Iceland.

The volcano in southwest Iceland has erupted for the sixth time since December, spewing red lava through a new fissure on the Reykjanes peninsula.

The eruption began shortly after 9 p.m. on Thursday (August 22) following a series of strong earthquakes, and within an hour a three-kilometer-long crack had opened up in the Sundhnukur crater.

Authorities said the impact was localized due to road closures and posed no danger to the population.

But what impact does this have on us here in the UK and should we be worried about the carbon cloud?

The cities currently “exposed” include London, Norwich and Hull.

But the Met Office said, according to Sky News, that the cloud was “high in the atmosphere” and would have “little impact on air quality near the ground”.

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Meteorologists added: “We continue to monitor all sulphur dioxide emissions from Iceland. Current forecasts suggest that there will be little impact on air pollution in the UK over the coming days.”

Although there is currently no cause for concern in the UK, the colourless gas is causing health symptoms such as sore throat, cough and difficulty breathing, Sky News explains.

What is a sulfur dioxide cloud?

Sulfur dioxide is normally produced by the combustion of coal or crude oil, but in this case it was formed naturally following a volcanic eruption.

Reading tip:

Iceland, which lies above a volcanic hotspot in the North Atlantic, experiences an eruption on average every four to five years.

The most devastating eruption in recent times was the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in 2010. It spewed clouds of ash into the atmosphere and disrupted transatlantic air traffic for months.

The recent outbreak is not expected to affect air travel.