Volcanic Ash Cloud from Ethiopia to Disrupt Indian Cities, Flight Operations on High Alert
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A massive cloud of volcanic ash from Ethiopia's Hayli Gubbi volcano, which erupted for the first time in thousands of years, is set to reach northwest India by Monday night. The ash cloud, containing volcanic ash, sulphur dioxide, and fine rock particles, is expected to impact flight operations over parts of Indian airspace. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the plume is rising 10-15 kilometers above the Earth's surface and will primarily affect flight operations. IMD director general M Mohapatra told Hindustan Times that while the impact will be minimal near the surface, it may cause a marginal rise in temperature and haze in the sky. The ash cloud is expected to enter Gujarat before moving to Rajasthan, Delhi-NCR, and Punjab in the next few hours. Several flights have already been cancelled or rerouted through Pakistan's airspace to avoid the affected region. The situation is expected to worsen on Tuesday if the ash settles over Delhi and Jaipur. The already high pollution levels in the region may spike further due to the volcanic ash. Delhi's air quality index stood at 382 at 4 pm on Monday, with several locations in the NCR on the brink of 'severe' air quality. Meteorological experts said the plume was moving rapidly across Central Asia and into India.
