A massive volcanic ash cloud from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano, which has erupted for the first time in thousands of years, has drifted towards India, with the ash plume reaching Delhi’s skies at around 11 pm on Monday. As ash moves towards Indian airspace, several flight operations begun to face disruptions, and officials warn of further cancellations and diversions through the night and into Tuesday as conditions worsen.
The plumes-containing volcanic ash, sulphur dioxide and small particles of rock-are currently positioned at heights of 10-15 km, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, adding that the primary impact will be on aviation.
Airlines began cancelling flights after noon as the ash drifted across the Red Sea towards the Middle East and Central Asia. IndiGo cancelled six flights, including one from Mumbai and several from southern India, a person aware of the matter said.
A Mumbai airport official noted that rerouting was already underway through Pakistan airspace. “The Pakistan airspace is shut for Indian airlines, hence the Indian airlines are expected to be impacted. We have started keeping a record of this and are monitoring the situation,” the official said.
“Flights either have to be re-routed or cancelled. While the impact on flight operations is minimal today, the situation is expected to be worse on Tuesday,” another person said. Officials added that the ministry and DGCA are closely monitoring the situation and warned that if the ash settles over Delhi and Jaipur by Tuesday, Indian aviation could face severe disruption.
Ash Plume Moving Rapidly Towards North India
Meteorologists say the plume is advancing quickly across Central Asia and into India.
“The ash plume is moving at a speed of around 100-120 km/h, towards north India. This is between 15-25,000 feet, up to 45,000 feet in the sky, and contains mostly volcanic ash, sulphur dioxide and some small particles of glass or rock which will make the sky appear darker and impact air traffic,” said Ashwary Tiwari, amateur weatherman and creator of the IndiaMetSky X account.
“It has already begun to impact Jodhpur, with NCR and other areas likely to be impacted soon,” he added.
Possible Spike In Pollution Levels Across NCR
The ash could worsen air quality across the region, which is already on the brink of ‘severe’. At 4 pm on Monday, Delhi’s AQI stood at 382. Ghaziabad recorded 396 (very poor), Noida 397, Greater Noida 382, while Faridabad registered an AQI of 232 (poor).