Sicily's Mount Etna has erupted, sending ash and lava excessive over the Mediterranean island, forcing flights to be suspended and leaving vacationers going through vacation disruption.

The Italian volcano, which at 3,330m (10,925 ft) excessive is Europe's tallest and most energetic, started erupting in a single day, officers mentioned.

Although the lava move subsided earlier than daybreak, ash was nonetheless coming from one of many craters.

No flights will go in or out of Catania, a preferred vacationer vacation spot, till 8pm (6pm, UK time), the airport mentioned on X, previously often known as Twitter, and earlier on Monday, the airport itself was quickly closed.

Several British Airways, Ryanair, easyJet and KLM flights have been cancelled, delayed, or diverted to different airports on the island.

Catania International Airport mentioned: "Due to Etna's eruptive activity and fallout of volcanic ash, flight operations are suspended until 8pm."

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The airport, which serves jap Sicily, noticed round 10 million passengers final 12 months.

With many streets coated in ash, town has banned the usage of motorbikes and bicycles for 48 hours.

Motorists had been additionally ordered to drive no quicker than 30kmph (19mph) because of the skiddy situations.

The timing may hardly be worse for the favored vacationer vacation spot, coming lower than a month after a hearth at a terminal noticed flights disrupted for weeks and compelled the airport to shut quickly.

Etna's final main eruption was in 1992.