The long-dormant Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia has erupted for the first time in nearly 12,000 years, and its ash cloud has been detected south of Pakistan’s coast, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) confirmed on Monday.
The official from the Pakistan’s Met Office confirmed that the ash erupted from the volcano can be observed from 60 nautical miles south of Gwadar.
Furthermore, the official noted that in last 75 years, this is the first time Pakistan has officially issued an alert related to volcanic ash from an international eruption.
According to the PMD, the ash cloud is currently located at an altitude of around 45,000 feet.
Aviation experts in Pakistan has warned that international flights coming from middle east and surrounding part of the world operate usually between 40,000 and 45,000 feet.
Which means if the artifact is exposed in the effected region, the jet’s engine can be effected by the volcanic smoke in the sky. Whereas, most domestic flights in Pakistan typically operate between 34,000 and 36,000 feet.
However, experts clarified that Karachi and other urban areas are not under threat from the eruption.
The ash is far offshore and at very high altitude, so it is not expected to affect air quality or cause hazardous conditions on the ground in Pakistan.
Authorities said that they are continuously monitoring this unusually weather phenomenon to ensure aviation safety and will issue further guidance to airlines if required.
Earlier, the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) reported that the Hayli Gubbi eruption sent thick plumes of smoke up to 14 kilometres (around 45,000 feet) into the sky.
The volcano is located in Ethiopia’s Afar region, about 800km northeast of Addis Ababa (Country’s Capital).
Ash clouds from the eruption have drifted over Yemen, Oman, India and northern Pakistan, VAAC said.
The Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program noted that Hayli Gubbi has no record of eruptions in the Holocene, underscoring the rarity of this event.
