Latest news with #Catania
Washington Post
3 hours ago
- Climate
- Washington Post
Sicily's Mount Etna erupts in a fiery show of smoke and ash miles high
MILAN — Sicily's Mount Etna put on a fiery show Monday, sending a cloud of smoke and ash several kilometers (miles) into the air, but officials said the activity posed no danger to the population. The level of alert due to the volcanic activity was raised at the Catania airport, but no immediate interruptions were reported. An official update declared the ash cloud emission had ended by the afternoon.
New York Times
5 hours ago
- Climate
- New York Times
An Eruption at Mount Etna Sends Hikers Scrambling for Cover
Tourists on the Italian island of Sicily were forced to flee on Monday from the slopes of Mount Etna, one of Europe's largest and most active volcanoes, after an eruption sent clouds of gas, rock and ash billowing into the sky. There were no reports of injuries or deaths, though videos circulating on social media showed hikers scrambling to descend the mountain as plumes rose overhead. More than 20 percent of the flights arriving at the nearby Catania Airport were delayed, according to FlightAware, a company that tracks flight information. Authorities said that there was no risk to the local population. The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said in a statement that the explosions were confined to the summit area, which was closed to tourists, and were of 'strong intensity.' The institute has since announced on its Facebook account that the day's volcanic activity has ended. As a popular tourist destination, Sicily welcomes many millions of travelers annually, with more than a million visiting Mount Etna alone. In recent years, authorities have struggled to control imprudent visitors who failed to appreciate the risks of getting a close look at the island's most prominent landmark. Mount Etna, a stratovolcano, or a conical volcano with relatively steep sides, shows almost continuous activity from its main craters and relatively frequent lava flows from craters and fissures along its sides. A previous major eruption had occurred in February. Hannah and Charlie Camper, a couple from England, were vacationing at Villa Carlino House, which sits about 10 miles east of the volcano's central crater, when volcanic plumes began billowing near the summit. The couple was aware of previous eruptions but thought they would be 'completely fine,' since 'it's active all the time,' Ms. Camper said in a WhatsApp message. Ms. Camper said they weren't sure what to do if the activity worsened. They did not receive any emergency messages on their phones. After filming the video, they ran inside and began searching the internet for safety warnings. 'We were waiting to hear something, but nothing came through even though the smoke was getting bigger and coming toward us,' she said. 'At one point we could see the lava coming down the volcano.' Sicily, the setting for the second season of the hit series 'The White Lotus,' has grown increasingly popular among tourists in recent years, despite being plagued by heat, wildfires and water shortages. Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2025.
CBC
6 hours ago
- Climate
- CBC
Massive ash cloud erupts from Sicily's Mount Etna in fiery volcanic show
Social Sharing Sicily's Mount Etna put on a fiery show on Monday, sending a cloud of smoke and ash several kilometres into the air. Although the eruption sent some tourists scrambling, officials said the activity posed no danger to the population. The level of alert was raised at the Catania airport due to the volcanic activity, but no immediate interruptions were reported. An official update declared the ash cloud emission had ended by the afternoon. Video and photos of the eruption show a sudden cascade of material and billowing ash running down the flank of the summit, appearing as though the volcano was splitting in half. Footage shared on social media shows tourists running along a path on the flank of the vast volcano as smoke swirled some distance in the background. Excursions are popular on Etna, which is some 3,300 metres high, with a surface area of some 1,200 square kilometres. Italy's INGV National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said the spectacle on Europe's most active volcano was caused when part of the southeast crater collapsed, resulting in hot lava flows and accompanying clouds of ash. The volcanic clouds reached a height of 6,500 metres at one point, according to observations recorded by the institute. It was the 14th eruptive phase in recent months. The area of danger was confined to the summit of Etna, which was closed to tourists as a precaution, according to Stefano Branca, an INGV official in Catania. The southeast crater sits about 2,800 metres above sea level. Sicily's president, Renato Schifani, said lava flows emitted in the eruption had not passed the natural containment area, "and posed no danger to the population." Dramatic fits are common at Mount Etna, which is Europe's most active volcano. The volcano drew eyes in mid-May when it shot plumes of lava and clouds of ash up into the sky, feeding two modest lava flows near its active southeast crater. Tremors from Monday's eruption were widely felt in the towns and villages on Mount Etna's flanks, Italian media reported.
Travel Weekly
7 hours ago
- General
- Travel Weekly
Sicily's Mount Etna erupts, but officials say summit is closed to visitors
MILAN (AP) -- Sicily's Mount Etna put on a fiery show Monday, sending a cloud of smoke and ash several kilometers (miles) into the air, but officials said the activity posed no danger to the population. The level of alert due to the volcanic activity was raised at the Catania airport, but no immediate interruptions were reported. An official update declared the ash cloud emission had ended by the afternoon. Italy's INGV National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said the spectacle on Europe's most active volcano was caused when part of the southeast crater collapsed, resulting in hot lava flows. It was the 14th eruptive phase in recent months. The area of danger was confined to the summit of Etna, which was closed to tourists as a precaution, according to Stefano Branca, an INGV official in Catania. Video showed tourists running along a path on the flank of the vast volcano with smoke billowing some distance in the background. Excursions are popular on Etna, which is nearly 11,000 feet high, with a surface area of about 460 square miles. Sicily's president, Renato Schifani, said lava flows emitted in the eruption had not passed the natural containment area, "and posed no danger to the population." The event was captured in video and photos that went viral on social media. Tremors from the eruption were widely felt in the towns and villages on Mount Etna's flanks, Italian media reported.
Globe and Mail
8 hours ago
- Climate
- Globe and Mail
Sicily's Mount Etna erupts in show of smoke and ash, officials say no danger to population
Sicily's Mount Etna put on a fiery show Monday, sending a cloud of smoke and ash several kilometres into the air, but officials said the activity posed no danger to the population. The level of alert due to the volcanic activity was raised at the Catania airport, but no immediate interruptions were reported. An official update declared the ash cloud emission had ended by the afternoon. Italy's INGV National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said the spectacle on Europe's most active volcano was caused when part of the southeast crater collapsed, resulting in hot lava flows. It was the 14th eruptive phase in recent months. The area of danger was confined to the summit of Etna, which was closed to tourists as a precaution, according to Stefano Branca, an INGV official in Catania. Sicily's President, Renato Schifani, said lava flows emitted in the eruption had not passed the natural containment area, 'and posed no danger to the population.' The event was captured in video and photos that went viral on social media. Tremors from the eruption were widely felt in the towns and villages on Mount Etna's flanks, Italian media reported. Video showed tourists running along a path on the flank of the vast volcano with smoke billowing some distance in the background. Excursions are popular on Etna, which is some 3,300 metres high, with a surface area of some 1,200 square kilometres.
