Volcanologists on La Palma have confirmed that there are two lava flows from the point of eruption in El Paso after a second eruption at 4.25pm this afternoon, one of which has already crossed the LP-212 highway, heading for habited areas.
The lava is descending relatively fast through valleys and ravines on the island, and is doing the same thing as the 1949 eruption, with two arms, as emergency services are attending to the people who can get caught between both branches of lava.
The ash cloud being created above the island is visible from El Hierro, and airspace directly above the island has been closed, even though flights can still take off and land. Both the president of the Canary Islands, Angel Victor Torres, and the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez are reported to be heading to the island.
The first thermal images of the island showing the distribution of lava are starting to come from the ACO Observation plane that has been circling high above taking photos. Here you can see the focus of the magma and the flow of the lava on the island:
