Mount Etna, located in Sicily, is currently experiencing a volcanic eruption, emitting clouds of ash into the sky. Due to safety concerns, Catania Airport has been forced to cancel certain flights. Videos circulating on social media capture the eruption of the active volcano on the eastern coast of the Italian island. The ash emissions reportedly began around 7:45 am and escalated before 9 am this morning.
Local sources in Sicily have reported that ash started rising from the stratovolcano shortly before 8 am today, intensifying about an hour later. According to La Sicilia, ash emissions commenced at 7:45 am from the vent on the upper eastern flank of the Voragine crater, intensifying by 8:45 am, resulting in an eruptive cloud reaching about 1.5 kilometers above the volcano’s summit. As a precautionary measure, incoming flights to Catania-Fontanarossa airport have been halted. Ingv models suggest that the ash cloud will drift towards the southern and south-southeast sectors in the upcoming hours.
Footage shows the volcano erupting while beachgoers and locals observe from a distance. A dense plume of smoke can be seen billowing into the clear blue sky from the mountain peak. Catania Airport has taken safety precautions by suspending flights and closing sector B2, reducing the number of flights to five per hour until 9 pm local time following the volcanic activity.
