Volcanic eruption
Etna in Sicily is calming down again
Plumes of smoke from the Etna volcano north of Catania in Sicily. photo
© Salvatore Allegra/AP/dpa
There are explosions and an eruption cloud over 4 kilometers high. The Etna volcano in Sicily is active again. So far there have been no restrictions on air traffic.
The Italian Mediterranean island of Sicily is home to Europe’s largest active volcano Etna calmed down again on Monday. The Italian Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) in Catania reported a relatively normal night. On Sunday, the mountain, which is more than 3,300 meters high, spewed large amounts of glowing lava into the sky. In the evening, a thick cloud of lava, igneous gases and rock stood over the volcano up to a height of 4.5 kilometers.
Explosions were seen and heard again and again over the weekend. Ash fell on several towns in the area such as Milo and Zafferana Etnea. However, there was no major damage. Operations at Catania island airport continued. On Monday, the authorities lowered the warning level for air traffic from red to orange. Mount Etna is Europe’s largest active volcano. The mountain is about 3350 meters high. However, the exact height changes again and again due to eruptions and cinder cones.