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Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
WATCH Mount Etna erupt: Europe's largest volcano blows as tourists scramble to safety
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Mount Etna erupted on Monday (June 2) with a ginormous cloud of ash and triggered an avalanche of volcanic material that has ripped down the side of Europe's largest active volcano. The massive eruption on the Italian island of Sicily sent visitors scrambling for safety as black smoke rose high above Catania, a metropolitan city with a population of more than 1 million people located near the base of the volcano. An avalanche of hot lava blocks, ash, gas and other volcanic material called a pyroclastic flow began at around 11:20 AM local time. Footage from the eruption makes it look as if the volcano is splitting open from the top down as the ejected material races down the side of the volcano. Scientists observing the volcano said that the latest eruptive activity likely started after a collapse of material in Mount Etna's South-East Crater, where the "explosive activity" has since become a lava fountain, according to an update at 12:00 PM local time from the Etnean Observatory, run by Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology. There were no reports of injuries at the time of publication, though some social media videos show tourists fleeing the volcano on foot. "I spoke to the INGV (Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology), everything is normal and under control," Enrico Tarantino, the mayor of Sicily's Catania municipality, said in a statement, via the Independent. "There is no criticality, it is a phenomenon that repeats itself and, in light of the monitoring of the volcano, was already expected." Related: Watch mesmerizing 1,000-foot-tall lava fountains: Kilauea volcano erupting in ways not seen for 40 years Mount Enta has been erupting since Nov. 27, 2022, according to the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program. At over 11,000 feet (3,350 meters) tall, Mount Etna is the tallest volcano in Europe. —The closer a volcano is to erupting, the greener the trees around it look from space —Quadruple volcanoes on secret Soviet military base linked to climate-altering eruption 200 years ago — Earth from space —Mystery of Bolivian 'zombie' volcano finally solved The ash cloud from the latest eruption had risen up to around 21,300 feet (6,500 m), or 4 miles (6.5 kilometers) into the sky, according to an update from the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in France at 12:00 PM local time. That rise meant the ash cloud was almost twice as high as the volcano itself. The rest of the cloud is mostly composed of sulfur dioxide (SO2). This gas, when released from a volcano, can mix with other gases and particles in the atmosphere to form a haze called volcanic smog (vog). Inhaling enough vog can cause respiratory problems and other health issues such as eye and skin irritation, according to USGS. However, officials in Italy haven't warned of any threats to the local population at the time of publication. The eruption has stopped, according to an update at 4:56 PM local time from the Etnean Observatory.
Local Italy
5 days ago
- Climate
- Local Italy
Is it safe to travel to Sicily after Mount Etna eruption?
Mount Etna, Europe's largest active volcano, erupted in a dramatic display in the early hours of Monday morning. Footage shared widely on social media showed panicked visitors fleeing down one side of the volcano as a huge plume of smoke and ash billowed above them. No injuries were reported. Flights to and from Catania's Vincenzo Bellini Airport were unaffected, though Sicily's aviation authorities issued an orange alert on Monday urging pilots to exercise caution when flying near the area. As of Monday evening, Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) announced that the volcanic activity had finished. But does that mean it's safe to visit? Warning system The first thing to keep in mind is that Etna's eruptions are nothing new: the first recorded volcanic activity dates all the way back to 1,500 BC. The volcano has erupted regularly in recent years, with the most recent notable eruption happening in February of this year. Despite these flare-ups, Etna continues to be a popular destination for tourists, and authorities are well-equipped to deal with eruptions. The last time an eruption resulted in the loss of human life was 1987, when a woman and her seven-year-old son were caught in a sudden explosion while walking near the volcano's summit with their tour group. Sicily's President Renato Schifani on Monday said experts had assured him that there was "no danger for the population". However, local authorities will continue to monitor the situation "with extreme caution," he added. "Everything's under control," Catania Mayor Enrico Tarantino said, adding that the eruption "was expected, and access to the summit had already been restricted." Stefano Branca, director of the INGV's Etna Observatory, also told reporters that the "summit area had already been closed preventively and the entire warning system worked". He was referring to the Civil Protection Department's colour-coded tiered alert system, under which red represents the highest threat level and green the lowest. Each level triggers different public safety measures, with a red code requiring mandatory evacuations and major access restrictions, and a yellow code meaning people in the vicinity should keep checking for updates and be prepared. As of Tuesday, the Civil Protection Department's Etna alert level was at a yellow. Tourists seeking photo opportunities and thrills have in the past defied local ordinances blocking access to certain areas and ignored officials directing traffic and hikers away from danger zones. It's a given that if you don't follow the rules, you may be putting yourself in danger. How are flights affected by volcanic activity? Airport closures due to volcanic activity are not uncommon in Sicily. Catania's airport, Sicily's busiest airport, is frequently forced to halt or reduce flights due to clouds of ash in its airspace. During the last series of eruptions in February, it was forced to divert dozens of flights. Given that Catania's airport is closest to the 'epicentre' of volcanic activity, it is far more likely to be affected by closures than others in the region. Flights to the airport are usually diverted to Palermo's Falcone-Borsellino airport (a four-hour drive away) or Trapani's Vincenzo Florio in the event of closures. But it is not just air transportation that can be disrupted by the effects of a volcano. Ground transportation services (trains and buses) can be halted temporarily due to poor visibility from ashfall, especially when coupled with rainfall, which can cause slippery conditions on the roads near the volcano. Worsening air quality is also a risk for individuals with chronic breathing issues such as asthma or COPD. During periods of ashfall, officials advise limiting exposure, at least until the air has cleared. If you are planning to travel to affected areas of the island, you can find up-to-the-minute alerts on volcanic activity from the INGV here.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Huge eruption on Italy's Mt. Etna leaves tourists fleeing volcano
A massive eruption at Mt. Etna forced tourists to flee the volcano on Monday after a plume of high temperature gases, ash and rock 'several kilometers high' billowed into the air above them, Italian authorities said. Footage posted on social media shows long lines of people hurrying downhill away from the explosion while the owner of one tour company told CNN they had 40 people on the Sicilian volcano when it erupted. Giuseppe Panfallo, a guide with Go Etna, filmed his tour group huddled together with an enormous ash cloud in the distance. 'We were nearly grazed, look at this cloud here. We were two steps away and thank goodness we have a responsible guide with us,' he says in the video shared with CNN. 'It arrived all at once, an immense smoke, immense, immense roar.' About a dozen tour operators work on Etna at any given time, the Sicilian Civil Protection Agency told CNN, adding that they are contacting all of them to ensure everyone is accounted for. The volcano on the Italian island is a popular tourist destination visited by 1.5 million people a year, many of whom trek almost all the way to its summit. Although Mt. Etna is one of the world's most active volcanos, there hasn't been an eruption of this magnitude since 2014, according to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology Observatory. These eruptions often stop as quickly as they start, the observatory added, though explosions are still increasing in intensity and the mountain is spewing out a very small amount of lava and fire. This eruption, which began overnight, produced explosions heard as far away as Taormina and Catania, which are about 50 kilometers and 40 kilometers (31 miles and 25 miles) away, respectively, according to several witnesses who posted footage on social media. The observatory said that the preliminary observations show a 'partial collapse' of the northern flank of the volcano's southeast crater, which has produced spectacular lava flows during recent eruptions in the last few months. None of the ash is expected to fall on Catania, the city at the foot of the volcano, though authorities are prepared to alert people to take cover if the wind changes, the city's mayor Enrico Tarantino told CNN. Nearby airports in Catania and Palermo remain open too as, currently, the wind is not blowing the ash in that direction. The Sicilian Civil Protection Agency instructed all flight travel to avoid the area and some flights from Catania have been directed to Palermo, according to Flight Radar Data. Authorities have closed many of the roads heading up to the volcano to prevent people trying to get close to the eruption and from getting in the way of first responders and emergency vehicles, Tarantino added. Around 1 p.m. local time (7 a.m. ET), the volcano started spewing hot lava, which is more in line with previous eruptions, an observatory spokesman said. The observatory defined the volcanic activity as a pyroclastic eruption, resulting in a 'significant increase in volcanic tremor and the formation of an eruptive column containing a lethal mixture of high-temperature gases, lava grains, volcanic ash, and rock fragments of various sizes that rapidly descends down the slopes of the volcano.' This story has been updated.
9 News
6 days ago
- 9 News
Huge eruption on Italy's Mount Etna leaves tourists fleeing volcano
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here A massive eruption at Mount Etna has forced tourists to flee the volcano after a plume of high-temperature gases, ash and rock "several kilometres high" billowed into the air above them, Italian authorities say. Footage posted on social media shows long lines of people hurrying downhill away from the explosion on Monday while the owner of one tour company told CNN they had 40 people on the Sicilian volcano when it erupted. Giuseppe Panfallo, a guide with Go Etna, filmed his tour group huddled together with an enormous ash cloud in the distance. "We were nearly grazed, look at this cloud here. We were two steps away and thank goodness we have a responsible guide with us," he says in the video shared with CNN. "It arrived all at once, an immense smoke, immense, immense roar." About a dozen tour operators work on Etna at any given time, the Sicilian Civil Protection Agency told CNN, adding that they are contacting all of them to ensure everyone is accounted for. The volcano on the Italian island is a popular tourist destination visited by 1.5 million people a year, many of whom trek almost all the way to its summit. Although Mount Etna is one of the world's most active volcanos, there hasn't been an eruption of this magnitude since 2014, according to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology Observatory. These eruptions often stop as quickly as they start, the observatory added, though explosions were still increasing in intensity and the mountain is spewing out a very small amount of lava and fire. Italy's Mount Etna erupts, with a volcanic plume rising from the south-east crater on June 2, 2025. (via CNN Newsource) This eruption, which began on Monday morning (Monday evening AEST), produced explosions heard as far away as Taormina and Catania, which are about 50 kilometres and 40 kilometres away, respectively, according to several witnesses who posted footage on social media. The observatory said that the preliminary observations show a "partial collapse" of the northern flank of the volcano's south-east crater, which has produced spectacular lava flows during recent eruptions in the last few months. None of the ash is expected to fall on Catania, the city at the foot of the volcano, though authorities are prepared to alert people to take cover if the wind changes, the city's mayor Enrico Tarantino told CNN. Nearby airports in Catania and Palermo remain open too as, currently, the wind is not blowing the ash in that direction. The Sicilian Civil Protection Agency instructed all flight travel to avoid the area and some flights from Catania have been directed to Palermo, according to Flight Radar Data. Smoke billows from Mount Etna volcano, Italy, on Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Giuseppe Distefano) Authorities have closed many of the roads heading up to the volcano to prevent people trying to get close to the eruption and from getting in the way of first responders and emergency vehicles, Tarantino added. About 1pm local time (9pm AEST), the volcano started spewing hot lava, which is more in line with previous eruptions, an observatory spokesman said. The observatory defined the volcanic activity as a pyroclastic eruption, resulting in a "significant increase in volcanic tremor and the formation of an eruptive column containing a lethal mixture of high-temperature gases, lava grains, volcanic ash, and rock fragments of various sizes that rapidly descends down the slopes of the volcano". Volcano World environment nature Italy Europe tourism Tourist CONTACT US Property News: You can only access this beach shack at low tide.
Local Italy
6 days ago
- Climate
- Local Italy
Major Mount Etna eruption in Sicily sends tourists fleeing in panic
The eruption began at around 3.50am local time, following a series of volcanic tremors which started around midnight. Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) said in a statement that the volcano was experiencing explosions 'of growing intensity' and that eruption activity was currently "almost continuous". 'Over the past few hours, the falling of thin ash has been flagged in the Piano Vetore area [south of the volcano],' the statement added. 'From a seismic point of view, the values of the tremor amplitude are currently high with a tendency to increase further,' INGV noted. The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Toulouse, one of nine centres used to monitor aviation risks around the world, warned that Mount Etna's ash plume had reached an altitude of around 6,400 metres. Footage widely shared on social media (click here if it doesn't show below) showed people running down one side of the volcano, as a thick column of smoke billowed above them. #Etna éruption en live — 🥗Aurelien Pouzin🍯 (@aurelienpouzin) June 2, 2025 There were no immediate reports of injuries following the eruption. Italian media reports also said there was no immediate risk to the local population, which is accustomed to Mount Etna's frequent eruptions. "Everything's under control," Catania Mayor Enrico Tarantino told Il Sole 24 Ore. "There's no critical issue," he said. "Based on our monitoring of the volcano, [the eruption] was expected, and access to the summit had already been restricted." Flights to and from Catania's Vincenzo Bellini Airport weren't affected by the volcano's eruption, according to the latest local media reports. Though the airport remained fully operational, Sicily's aviation authorities issued an orange alert earlier on Monday, urging pilots to exercise caution when flying near the area. Mount Etna is Europe's largest and most active volcano. It last erupted on February 11th, spewing hot ash and lava from its top crater. Mount Etna's most destructive eruption on record took place in 1669, when lava swept through villages located on the volcano's slopes all the way down to Catania, on Sicily's eastern coast. Defensive walls protected the city and sent molten rock plunging into the harbour. Major eruptions have taken place roughly twice a decade since the 1970s, often accompanied by earthquakes. The last time an eruption resulted in the loss of human life was 1987, when a woman and her seven-year-old son were caught in a sudden explosion while walking near the summit with their tour group.
