Volcanic ash advisories
Where volcanic ash is being reported to aircraft right now: every volcanic ash SIGMET in force worldwide, with the volcano, the flight region, the heights the ash reaches and how long the notice runs. From the U.S. Aviation Weather Center's data. For your own flight, follow your airline and airport.
Volcanic ash SIGMETs are in force for 8 volcanoes right now: Sakurajima (aira Caldera), Dukono, Taal, Sangay, Semeru and 3 more.
A SIGMET tells pilots where ash is or is expected. It does not say which flights are cancelled; airlines decide that. Check with your airline and airport before you travel.
Sakurajima (aira Caldera)
| Flight region | Ash heights | Valid | Advisory centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fukuoka (RJJJ)
Ash moving NE at 0 kt |
base not given to FL100 (about 10,000 ft) | 19 Oct 18:48 UTC to 20 Oct 00:48 UTC
issued 19 Oct 18:48 UTC |
Tokyo VAAC |
Volcano position as given in the notice: 31.60, 130.65
Dukono
| Flight region | Ash heights | Valid | Advisory centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ujung Pandang (WAAF)
Ash moving NE at 15 kt |
surface to FL070 (about 7,000 ft) | 19 Oct 17:00 UTC to 19 Oct 23:00 UTC
issued 19 Oct 17:00 UTC |
Darwin VAAC |
Volcano position as given in the notice: 1.70, 127.90
Taal
Eruption report on this site →
| Flight region | Ash heights | Valid | Advisory centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manila (RPHI) | surface to FL030 (about 3,000 ft) | 19 Oct 16:49 UTC to 19 Oct 22:49 UTC
issued 19 Oct 16:49 UTC |
see list below |
Volcano position as given in the notice: 14.00, 121.00
Sangay
| Flight region | Ash heights | Valid | Advisory centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guayaquil (SEFG)
Ash moving W at 5 kt |
surface to FL240 (about 24,000 ft) | 19 Oct 16:48 UTC to 19 Oct 22:48 UTC
issued 19 Oct 16:48 UTC |
Washington VAAC |
Volcano position as given in the notice: -2.00, -78.33
Semeru
| Flight region | Ash heights | Valid | Advisory centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ujung Pandang (WAAF)
Ash moving W at 10 kt |
surface to FL150 (about 15,000 ft) | 19 Oct 15:10 UTC to 19 Oct 21:10 UTC
issued 19 Oct 15:10 UTC |
Darwin VAAC |
Volcano position as given in the notice: -8.10, 112.92
Reventador
| Flight region | Ash heights | Valid | Advisory centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guayaquil (SEFG)
Ash moving SW at 5 kt |
surface to FL160 (about 16,000 ft) | 19 Oct 14:43 UTC to 19 Oct 20:43 UTC
issued 19 Oct 14:43 UTC |
Washington VAAC |
Volcano position as given in the notice: -0.07, -77.65
Ibu
| Flight region | Ash heights | Valid | Advisory centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ujung Pandang (WAAF)
Ash moving NE at 10 kt |
surface to FL060 (about 6,000 ft) | 19 Oct 14:40 UTC to 19 Oct 20:40 UTC
issued 19 Oct 14:40 UTC |
Darwin VAAC |
Volcano position as given in the notice: 1.48, 127.63
Mt
| Flight region | Ash heights | Valid | Advisory centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (NZZC) | surface to FL080 (about 8,000 ft) | 19 Oct 14:30 UTC to 19 Oct 20:30 UTC
issued 19 Oct 14:25 UTC |
Wellington VAAC |
Volcano position as given in the notice: -37.52, 177.18
Volcanic ash over Europe
No volcanic ash SIGMET for a European flight region is in force in the Aviation Weather Center's data (read 19 Oct 18:57 UTC).
The same SIGMETs as above, for European flight regions only. This page does not show flight or airport status; for a flight to or from Catania, Palermo, Naples or Iceland, check with your airline and the airport.
Advisory centres for Europe
- Toulouse VAAC (Météo-France): Most of Europe, Africa and the Middle East, including Etna, Stromboli and the Campi Flegrei. Latest Toulouse advisories · Toulouse VAAC home
- London VAAC (UK Met Office): The UK, Iceland and the north-east Atlantic, including Reykjanes. London VAAC
Status of Europe's watched volcanoes on this site
Each page reads the observatory's own aviation colour code (VONA), alert level and recent earthquakes. All volcano status pages.
- Etna (Sicily, Italy)
- Stromboli (Aeolian Islands, Italy)
- Campi Flegrei (Pozzuoli, west of Naples, Italy)
- Reykjanes (near Grindavík and the Blue Lagoon, Iceland)
The nine volcanic ash advisory centres
Each centre writes the Volcanic Ash Advisories for its part of the world, and its own page has the full advisory and ash charts. The centre shown beside a notice above is the one responsible for that flight region; where that is not clear-cut, none is named.
| Centre | Run by | Area (roughly) |
|---|---|---|
| Anchorage VAAC | U.S. National Weather Service | Alaska, the Aleutians and the far north-east of Russia |
| Buenos Aires VAAC | Servicio Meteorológico Nacional, Argentina | Southern South America |
| Darwin VAAC | Australian Bureau of Meteorology | Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, northern Australia and nearby |
| London VAAC | UK Met Office | Iceland and the north-east Atlantic |
| Montreal VAAC | Environment and Climate Change Canada | Canada and the north-west Atlantic |
| Tokyo VAAC | Japan Meteorological Agency | Japan, Kamchatka, the Kuril Islands and East Asia |
| Toulouse VAAC | Météo-France | Europe, Africa, the Middle East and western Asia |
| Washington VAAC | U.S. NOAA | The continental US, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America |
| Wellington VAAC | MetService New Zealand | New Zealand and the south-west Pacific |
Ash, airports and flights
Volcanic ash can damage jet engines and cockpit windows, so aircraft are routed around it and airports under it may close. Most notices cover ash below cruising height near the volcano; a large eruption can put ash above FL300 across a whole region. For US airports near an erupting volcano, the volcano's event page on this site shows the FAA's current airport status. Current eruptions are on active volcanoes.
Volcanic ash SIGMETs from the U.S. National Weather Service's Aviation Weather Center. Notices issued by other countries are summarised as facts here; the issuing office and its advisory centre are the authority. Not for flight planning. · Wildfire smoke map · all tools.
Questions
Is my flight affected by volcanic ash?
This page shows where ash warnings for aircraft are in force, not which flights are cancelled. Airlines decide whether to fly, re-route or wait, using these warnings and their own assessment. For your flight, check with your airline and your departure airport.
Is volcanic ash from Etna or Iceland affecting flights in Europe now?
No volcanic ash SIGMET for a European flight region is in force in the Aviation Weather Center's data (read 19 Oct 18:57 UTC). Ash advisories for Europe come from the Toulouse VAAC (Météo-France), and for the UK, Iceland and the north-east Atlantic from the London VAAC (UK Met Office). Whether a flight operates, for example at Catania, is decided by the airline and the airport, so check with them.
What is the difference between a volcanic ash advisory and an ash SIGMET?
A Volcanic Ash Advisory (VAA) is written by one of nine Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres and covers an ash cloud across a wide area. A SIGMET is the warning a country's meteorological watch office issues for its own flight region, based on that advisory. This page lists the SIGMETs, which NOAA's Aviation Weather Center collects worldwide, and links to the advisory centre responsible.
Are flights to Bali affected by volcanoes?
Ash from volcanoes in Indonesia, such as Semeru, Lewotobi or Ibu, is covered by the Darwin advisory centre and by SIGMETs from Indonesian watch offices. When one is listed here, its region and flight levels are shown; whether Bali flights operate is decided by the airlines and the airport, so check with them.
What does FL120 mean?
FL is flight level, the height in hundreds of feet on a standard pressure setting. FL120 is about 12,000 feet; airliners usually cruise between FL300 and FL410. An ash cloud from the surface to FL120 can still affect take-off and landing at nearby airports.