• Source:JND
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Ethiopia Volcano Eruption: Several Indian flight operations were affected on Tuesday after ash from a historic volcanic eruption in Ethiopia moved across multiple states on Monday night. The presence of dense ash in the upper atmosphere lowered the visibility, leading to cancellation of flights of several airlines, including Air India and Akasa Air. However, the experts suggest that the movement of ash has not affected the air quality, adding that it is also likely to move to China in the late hours of Tuesday. They further emphasised that the flight services are set to be normal in the upcoming hours. Earlier on Sunday, Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano released ash up to almost 15 kilometers high after it erupted for the first time in recorded history.

Ash Cloud Disrupts Flight Services

As per the IndiaMetSky Weather, a thick cloud of ash moved across several states, including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi NCR, and Punjab, on Monday night. The presence of dense cloud affected the visibility and further led to cancellation of several flights, especially to the Middle East countries.

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The flight operations to multiple destinations such as Hong Kong, Dubai, Jeddah, Helsinki, and Frankfurt were affected at the IGI airport in Delhi, reported PTI. While at least 7 international flights got cancelled on Tuesday, several others got delayed due to the unwanted situation, the report added.

'Cloud To Move To China By Tuesday Night'

However, the experts suggest that the dense ash is set to move towards China in the upcoming hours, leading to usual flight operations. "The impact of this volcanic ash is being seen only in the upper troposphere, and it is affecting the flight operations. It has no impact on air quality and weather. Our estimate is that this volcanic ash will completely move towards China by evening," Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), was quoted as saying by ANI.

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The experts also confirmed that the cloud is likely to move after 7.30 pm, suggesting that flight operations will be normal from Wednesday. "The plumes from the volcanic eruption skyrocketed 14 km high. We expect the ash cloud from it to move completely towards China after 7.30 pm today. We are continuously monitoring the situation," IMD Scientist AK Das was quoted as saying by ANI.

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