Iceland Met Office downgrades volcano alert level

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Iceland's Meteorological Office on Friday downgraded its volcano alert level to orange from red and said a small eruption that started during the night is not a threat to aviation.

"A 3 nautical mile radius and 5,000 foot altitude immediate safety restricted flight area around the volcanic activity set by the Icelandic Transport Authority remains is effect," the Met Office said in a statement.

Earlier in the day Iceland raised its alert warning level to maximum after a small eruption in the Bardarbunga volcano system. It said then that the eruption, along a 1-km-long fissure in a lava field north of the Vatnajokull glacier, which covers part of Bardarbunga system, was not producing detectable amounts of ash.

(Reporting by Simon Johnson; Editing by Alistair Scrutton)