Hekla

January 19, 1158 Eruption of Hekla

January 19, 1158 · VEI 4

Hekla in Iceland erupted on January 19, 1158 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 4.

Where it erupted

Hekla, Iceland, with its other significant eruptions.

Open the live map with volcanic ash advisories and webcams

The eruption

Date
January 19, 1158
Volcano
Hekla, stratovolcano
Country
Iceland
Volcanic Explosivity Index
4, large (eruption column 10 to 25 km)
Location
63.983° N, 19.666° W

The toll

Damage
Limited (under about $1 million)

Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.

What the record says

NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.

Damage to land and property.

Other significant eruptions of Hekla

More

Every eruption in 1158The 1100sHeklaEarthquakes near HeklaThis day in weather history

Sources

Volcanoes and significant eruptions from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. Volcano numbers are the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program’s. NCEI event 4242.