Ethiopian volcanic ash over India to clear by 7.30 pm, says IMD; several flights disrupted

Published on Authored by Press Trust of India

Ash clouds from volcanic activity in Ethiopia are drifting towards China and will move away from India by 7.30 pm on Tuesday, November 25, the India Meteorological Department said.

Thick plumes of smoke from the volcano covering the sky
The Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia has erupted for the first time in nearly 12,000 years. Photo courtesy: x.com/SLOinETH

Ash plumes from the recent eruption of the Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia impacted flight operations in India on Monday, November 24.

Forecast models indicated ash influence over Gujarat, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the ash clouds are drifting towards China and will move away from Indian skies by 7.30 pm.

According to the IMD, Hayli Gubbi, a shield volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region, erupted on Sunday, producing a large ash plume that rose to around 14 km (45,000 ft).

The plume spread eastward across the Red Sea and towards the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent.

“High-level winds carried the ash cloud from Ethiopia across the Red Sea to Yemen and Oman and further over the Arabian Sea towards western and northern India,” the IMD said in a statement

It said the IMD closely monitored satellite imagery, advisories from Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAACs) and dispersion models.

Its Met Watch Offices in Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata issued ICAO-standard Significant Meteorological Information (SIGMET) warnings to airports.

These advisories included directions to avoid affected airspace and flight levels identified in the VAAC bulletins.

The IMD said continuous monitoring of MET and ash advisories is used for flight planning, including adjustments to routing and fuel calculations based on alternate paths.

Flights over the region may face rerouting, longer flight times or holding patterns, the Met office added.

Meanwhile, at least seven international flights were cancelled and more than 10 overseas flights delayed at the Delhi airport on Tuesday as ash plumes from the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia impacted airlines’ operations.

Air India has cancelled 13 flights since Monday, November 24.