Mount Etna, Europe’s largest and most active volcano, has erupted on the Italian island of Sicily, spewing a huge column of smoke and ash into the sky leaving tourists running for their lives with the huge ash cloud growing behind them. Dramatic footage of the eruption emerged this morning showing black clouds billowing in the sky as people fled down the slopes.
The eruption began shortly after 4am, with short bursts of gas and lava that are typical of Etna’s activity. Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said it expected the erupting ash cloud to disperse in a west-southwest direction. The eruption at the most active volcano in Europe has escalated to continuous “explosions of growing intensity”, experts said. Mount Etna is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. It was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2013.
The monitoring institute issued a statement at 11.03am local time (10.03am BST), saying: “Over the past few hours, the activity flagged in the previous statement issued at 4.14am (3.14am BST) has carried on with strombolian explosions of growing intensity that, at the moment, are of strong intensity and nearly continuous. Over the past few hours, the falling of a little thin ash has been flagged in the Piano Vetore area.”
But if you have a holiday booked to Italy, in particular Sicily, is it still safe to travel? And have flights been cancelled?
Is it still safe to travel to Italy/ Sicily?
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has not released any new travel advice relating to Mount Etna’s eruption as of Monday afternoon.
The latest travel advice was last updated on April 21 following the death of Pope Francis, and is still relevant for today, June 2, says the FCDO.
It warns that terrorist attacks in Italy can be ruled out, while there is a risk of petty crimes on the streets during the Holy Year – but does not mention anything specifically about Mount Etna.
After the eruption the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center Toulouse (VAAC), which monitors aviation risks, issued a brief ‘code red’ warning.
This has now been downgraded to an orange alert. It means that pilots should exercise caution when flying near the area.
Flights are stil taking off and arriving at Catania Airport, which sits at the foot of Mount Etna.
The FCDO’s general advice for volcanic eruptions states that you should follow any guidance and instructions shared with you by local authorities.
The FCDO says: “If you are asked to evacuate, do so as soon as possible and take your key documents (for example, passport) and necessary supplies (for example, medication) with you.
“If you are not told to evacuate but are in an affected area, you should shelter in place. Close any windows and turn off air conditioning or HVAC systems. Ensure that you have enough basic supplies (including food, necessary medication and bottled water) given power may be affected and water supplies may be contaminated. If you cannot get basic supplies to shelter in place, you may need to evacuate.
“If you go outside, cover your skin and wear a mask or other face covering, as volcanic ash could irritate your skin and airways.”
