Orange alert for tourists after 'intense' Mount Etna eruption in Sicily
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Mount Etna has erupted in Sicily, spewing fountains of lava and the largest plumes of ash the Italian island has seen in years.
Tourists ran down the mountainside on Monday morning as black clouds billowed into the sky from Europe's tallest and most active volcano.
Footage shared on social media shows an enormous burst of ash and boiling rock blanketing the slopes. Reports in Mediterranean media claim the smoke could be seen from Malta.
But if you have a holiday booked, is it still safe to travel to Sicily — and have flights been cancelled?
The Volcanic Ash Advisory Center Toulouse (VAAC), which monitors aviation risks, issued a brief 'code red' due to the eruption earlier today.
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This has since been downgraded to an orange alert. It means that pilots should exercise caution when flying near the area.
Catania Airport, which sits at the foot of Mount Etna, remains fully operational.
Departures are taking off on schedule, but arrivals from Berlin, Milan and Rome have been delayed this afternoon.
When eruptions occur, the airport usually advises passengers to check their flight status with their airline before leaving home, as the situation can change quickly depending on volcanic activity.
Metro recommends keeping an eye on airline apps or websites for live updates, as well as airlines' social media accounts.
According to Italian volcanologists, Mount Etna has been experiencing strombolian explosions of 'growing intensity'. These explosions are typically moderate eruptions.
The UK Foreign Office has not updated guidance on travel to Sicily.
Prior to the eruption, volcanic tremors began around 10pm local time and reached their peak shortly before 1am, according to the Volcanic Discovery website.
Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology issued a statement on the eruption: 'Over the past few hours, the activity flagged in the previous statement issued at 4.14am (3.14 am BST) has carried on with strombolian explosions of growing intensity that, at the moment, are of strong intensity and nearly continuous.'
Authorities said thin ash has fallen in the Piano Vetore area, around one hour north.
Mount Etna is a volcano on the east coast of Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean.
It stands 3,400 metres tall and has a base of around 100 miles.
The ancient port city of Catania and its namesake airport sit at the foot of the volcano, giving arriving and departing travellers a spectacular view.
Mount Etna is the tallest active volcano in Europe, and one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
It has a frequent history of eruption, dating back 3,000 years. The largest eruption on record happened in 1669.
It's believed that over a dozen villages were destroyed by ash and earthquakes that took place around the eruption. Around 20,000 lost their lives and thousands were left homeless.
More recently, eruptions have blanketed the surrounding area in black volcanic ash, but lava has not reached nearby towns since the 1800s. More Trending
Etna last erupted in February, sending a 3km river of lava flowing out of the crater at 3,000m altitude.
The eruption caused minor travel disruption. Parts of Catania airport were closed due to poor visibility, and a handful of arrivals were delayed.
Etna is one of Sicily's biggest tourist attractions, but it is also a source of fear and speculation.
Some believe that French astrologer Nostradamus referred to a massive volcanic eruption taking place there in 2024 or 2025.
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