Ethiopia volcanic eruption LIVE updates: The Hayli Gubbi volcano, in Ethiopia’s northeastern region, erupted for the first time in 10,000 years, and it is impacting flights as far as Delhi. A cloud of ash from the volcanic eruption moved across large parts of northwest India on Monday night, sweeping over Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi-NCR and Punjab, the Hindustan Times reported.
Read More: Will Ethiopian volcanic ash worsen Delhi Pollution?
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) now said that the ash clouds will clear India by 7:30 pm on Tuesday and move into China.
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has advised airlines to avoid the affected regions. Plumes are reportedly expected to reach western and northern India.
IndiGo, Air India, and Akasa Air have assured passengers that safety remains their top priority following the eruption of Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano, whose ash clouds are drifting towards parts of India.
Stay tuned to THIS Live blog for the latest updates on the Ethiopian volcano:
IMD’s offices in Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata issued ICAO-standard SIGMET warnings, which is severe weather advisory. It advised airports to avoid specific airspace segments and flight levels flagged by Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC).
Ethiopia volcano eruption LIVE update: Air India in a post on X stated, “Our ground teams across the network are keeping passengers updated on their flight status and are providing immediate assistance, including hotel accommodation. We are making every effort to arrange alternative travel at the earliest.”
12 international flights scheduled for flight between 1 am and 6 pm on Tuesday were delayed as airlines modified operations in response to Hayli Gubbi volcano ash-related disruption, ANI reported.
AI 2822 – Chennai–Mumbai
AI 2466 – Hyderabad–Delhi
AI 2444 / 2445 – Mumbai–Hyderabad–Mumbai
AI 2471 / 2472 – Mumbai–Kolkata–Mumbai
As per ANI report, a total of 7 international flights scheduled to operate between 1:00 am and 6:00 pm on Tuesday have been cancelled. Volcanic ash affected airspace conditions and impacted flight operations.
Director General of Meteorology at the India Meteorological Department Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia released ash plumes which slowly moved from Ethiopia towards Yemen and Oman.
Dr Mohapatra further said that the ash cloud then advanced towards the Arabian Sea, and reached the Gujarat-Rajasthan region by Monday evening. “Gradually, by midnight, it moved over Delhi and North India, and is now travelling over Eastern India,” the IMD Director General said.
He said the plumes will move towards China next, and are expected to clear India by 7:30 pm.
Environmentalist Vimlendu Jha said that the ash clouds will not “immediately impact” Delhi’s AQI.
He told ANI, “The eruption of Ethopia’s volcano is enormous, and if you see it in the last 24 hours, whether we talk about Gujarat, Rajasthan or even in the last 12 hours, we can even see the ashes floating around Delhi. The overall impact of the eruption will be in the form of ash clouds and will not immediately affect the AQI in Delhi. The clouds are made of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and glass particles. Though it will not immediately affect the AQI, we need to monitor it, as the clouds are in the very upper atmosphere.
Sources told news agency ANI that due to volcanic ash, seven international flights (arrivals and departures) scheduled between 01:00 hrs and 18:00 hrs on November 25 have been cancelled. Additionally, twelve international flights (arrivals and departures) have been reported as delayed.
At least seven international flights were cancelled and more than 10 overseas flights were delayed at the Delhi airport on Tuesday as ash plumes from the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia impacted airlines’ operations. Air India has cancelled 13 flights since Monday
The IndiaMetSky Weather claimed that the latest analysis suggests: “Ash plum has moved away from Northern India into China and it will transit into upper atmosphere and finer dust will liner in upper atmosphere for some days and move towards Pacific along with the Subtropical Jetstream.”
IndiaMetSky Weather said the plumes pose no risk to anyone on the surface
IMD director general M Mohapatra told HT that the volcanic plume is not expected to significantly affect Delhi’s pollution levels, as it is travelling at very high altitudes. On air quality, he said it is “unclear whether it will impact air quality, but any significant impact is unlikely as it is at higher levels.” Read full story here
Forecast models revealed that there are indications of ash influence over Gujarat, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department said.
After the eruption in Ethiopia’s Afar region, the ash plume had spread eastward across the Red Sea, and moved towards the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent.
Air India said it has cancelled four flights on Tuesday — AI 2822 (Chennai-Mumbai), AI 2466 (Hyderabad-Delhi), AI 2444 / 2445 (Mumbai-Hyderabad-Mumbai) and AI 2471 / 2472 (Mumbai-Kolkata-Mumbai), news agency PTI reported.
On Monday, it had cancelled seven international flights, including AI 106 (Newark-Delhi), AI 102 (New York (JFK)-Delhi) and AI 2204 (Dubai-Hyderabad) and AI 2290 (Doha-Mumbai).
The IndiaMetSky Weather posted on X on Tuesday, “Only thing is that we will be having slightly colourful sunset/sunrise wherever the dust is present.”
The ask clouds from Ethiopia will clear India by 14:00 GMT (7:30 pm local time) on Tuesday, according to the IMD.
According to the India Meteorological Department, the ash cloud will move to China next. It is expected to be clear from India by 7:30 pm on Tuesday.
The Hayli Gubbi volcano, located in Ethiopia’s Afar region about 800 kilometres (500 miles) northeast of Addis Ababa near the Eritrean border, erupted on Sunday for several hours.
A volcano in Ethiopia’s northeastern region erupted for the first time in nearly 12,000 years, sending thick plumes of smoke up to 14 kilometres (nine miles) into the sky, the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) said.
The ash plume, which had entered India and is currently stretching from Oman-Arabian sea region into plains of north and central India. They may continue to slowly drift over Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan, IndiaMetSky Weather predicted.
It further said that the ash plume mostly consists of sulphur dioxide and low to moderate concentration of volcanic ash. The cloud will not affect the AQI in Indian cities, but might affect the sulphur dioxide levels in Himalayas and adjoining Terai belt in Uttar Pradesh.
Following the eruption, volcanic ash activity has been reported over parts of the Arabian Peninsula. Airlines issued cautionary notices for passengers flying through the Middle East, though no advisories have been connected to the ash drift toward India.
IndiGo tweeted, “Following the recent eruption of the Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia, ash clouds are reported to be drifting towards parts of western India… Our teams are closely tracking the situation in coordination with international aviation bodies.”
“We are fully prepared with all necessary precautions to ensure safe and reliable operations… We will continue to monitor the developments round the clock and keep you informed of any updates to help minimise inconvenience (if any)…,” IndiGo’s post read.
Air India said in a post on X, “Following the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia, ash clouds have been observed over certain geographical regions. We are closely monitoring the situation and remain in constant touch with our operating crew. There is no major impact on Air India flights at this time. We will take all necessary steps under our precautionary plans to ensure the safety of our passengers, crew and aircraft, which remains our top priority.”
-Hazy Skies with enhanced darkness
-Some Delays and extra long flight due to change in routes
-Place may see some deposits of Volcanic dust (Low chances)/(Unlikely)
An ash cloud from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano is expected to enter parts of western India Tuesday evening and move across several northern states, according to IndiaMetSky Weather.
“Ash cloud is about to enter Gujarat (West side) and move towards Rajasthan, northwest Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab by 10 pm, and later it will impact the Himalayas and other regions,” the meteorological service said.
IndiaMetSky Weather warned that the ash could make the sky appear darker and hazier than usual and may disrupt air traffic, causing delays and longer travel times, news agency ANI reported.
The ash cloud is moving at a speed between 100-120 km/h, and between altitudes 15,000-25,000 feet. The cloud – which contains volcanic ash, sulphur dioxide, and small particles of glass and rock – might also go up to 45,000 feet, ANI news agency quoted IndiaMetSky Weather as saying.
In a post on X, IndiGo said, “Following the recent eruption of the HayliGubbi volcano in Ethiopia, ash clouds are reported to be drifting towards parts of western India. We understand that such news may cause concern, and we want to reassure you that your safety remains our highest priority.”
“Following recent volcanic activity in Ethiopia and the resulting ash plume in the surrounding airspace, our flights to and from Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi scheduled for 24th and 25th November 2025 have been cancelled,” Akasa Air said in a statement.
After Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbin volcano erupted on Sunday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued an advisory to airlines asking them to avoid altitudes and regions affected by ash clouds.
Aviation regulator DGCA issued an advisory to airlines and airports on Monday to deal with possible disruptions in air operations due to the ash plumes from the volcanic activity in Ethiopia.
As per news agency PTI, the DGCA asked airlines to strictly avoid published volcanic ash affected areas and flight levels, adjust flight planning, routing and fuel considerations based on the latest advisories.
Airlines have been asked to immediately report any suspected ash encounter, including engine performance anomalies or cabin smoke/odour.
The Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia erupted for first time in 10,000 years and a massive ash cloud from the volcano began drifting toward northern India , according to the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC).
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