IMD scientist Radheshyam Sharma spoke to news agency ANI and said that the ash cloud from the Ethiopian volcanic eruption will have no special impact in Rajasthan.

“The ash clouds have been detected in the middle and upper tropospheric levels based on satellite observations. If we look at the aviation forecast, a special segment warning has been issued, and its impact has been seen over this particular area in the last 10 to 15 hours,” he said.

Sharma added, “The IMD has already issued an already significant segment warning for the areas where these S clouds have crossed… If we talk specifically about Rajasthan, these ash clouds crossed the upper atmosphere of Rajasthan on November 24th. Currently, these ash clouds are crossing over the areas of eastern India. Since the height of these ash clouds is 8 to 15 kilometres, no significant impact of them has been seen on the surface, and these ash clouds are currently moving in an east-north-east direction… In the coming times, also, no special impact of this will be seen in Rajasthan.”

The ministry of civil aviation shared an update on the volcanic ash cloud and said that it is ensuring seamless coordination with air traffic control, the India Meteorological Department, several airlines, and international aviation agencies.

“AAI has issued the necessary NOTAM and all affected flights have been kept informed. Operations across India remain smooth, with only a few flights rerouted or descended as a precaution. There is no cause for concern at this moment,” the ministry said.

It added that the ministry is closely monitoring the situation and will provide timely updates to ensure the safety of the passengers.

According to the latest information on flightradar24, the volcanic ash cloud is currenly detected over northern India, and is “moving quickly toward China”.

The website said that “the responsability for this ash event is being transferred to VAAC Tokyo. The next advisory will be issued by VAAC Tokyo.”

IMD scientists AK Das said that the plumes from the Ethiopian volcanic eruption “skyrocketed 14 km high”. He further told news agency ANI, “We expect the ash cloud from it to move completely towards China after 7.30 pm today. We are continuously monitoring the situation.”

Amid disruptions in air traffic, Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram airport issued a passenger advisory and said, “”Due to the scheduled airspace closure for Navy Operational Demonstration 2025, flight services at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport shall remain suspended from 1600 hrs to 1815 hrs between 27 November 2025 and 3 December 2025. Passengers are requested to check with their respective airlines for revised flight timings. Thank you for your cooperation.”

While the ash cloud from the Ethiopian volcanic eruption has swept over Delhi and other Indian cities, impacting visibility and air traffic, it has not affected the air quality levels in Delhi.

M Mohapatra, IMD’s director general, told HT earlier that the ash plume is in the “upper-levels, so we will not see significant impact near the surface”.

In his latest remark to news agency ANI, Mohapatra said that since the volcanic ash is being observed only in the upper troposphere, it is affecting 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,” he added.

The Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia’s northeastern region erupted after nearly 12,000 years on Monday. Located in Ethiopia’s Afar region about 800 kilometres (500 miles) northeast of Addis Ababa near the Eritrean border, the volcano within Rift Valley is in a zone of intense geological activity where two tectonic plates meet. Narottam Sahoo, Advisor, Gujarat Council on Science and Technology, told ANI news agency that the dormant volcano most likely erupted due to a tectonic activity in the region. “The ash cloud from this volcano has reached northern India. It has caused disruptions for the aviation industry,” Sahoo said.

Environmentalist Vimlendu Jha said that the ash clouds will not “immediately impact” Delhi’s AQI.

“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,” he told news agency ANI.

As the ash plume from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano drifted over Indian cities, including Delhi, Punjab and Gujarat, and is now moving towards eastern India, meteorologists have outlined the expected impact of the ash cloud and laid out safety steps.

IMD DG M. Mohapatra told HT that the impact of the ash cloud on Delhi’s air quality was likely to be minimal because the ash was not mixing with surface-level pollution. Residents would mainly notice a hazier sky for a few hours.

The International Volcanic Health Hazard Network (IVHHN) has said that exposure to volcanic ash can trigger breathing issues, eye discomfort, skin irritation, and indirect problems like reduced visibility.

IVHNN advises limiting driving. Staying indoors is recommended until conditions stabilise.

Homes should be sealed by keeping doors and windows shut. People conducting clean-ups are urged to use proper dust masks. A cloth mask is acceptable when nothing else is available. Those with asthma, chronic bronchitis, or emphysema should avoid exposure.

Read full report here

The ash plumes which have travelled to India after the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia have caused flight disruptions, leading to several international flights being cancelled and delayed.

International flights often cruise at higher altitudes i.e. between 35,000 to 40,000 feet, while domestic ones typically fly between 25,000 to 33,000 feet. In regards to the volcanic ash, its impact is only being seen “in the upper troposphere” in India, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, IMD, told ANI news agency.

Therefore, the ash plumes are affecting flights and leading to some cancellations, mostly for international journeys.

A picture showing the difference between the volcanic ash plume which has travelled from Ethiopia, and a layer of smog was shared by a user on social media.

The volcanic eruption in Ethiopia released ash plumes which slowly moved from Ethiopia towards Yemen and Oman, Director General of Meteorology at the India Meteorological Department Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said.

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.

The ash plumes have already started drifting towards China, thus meaning that the impact of the cloud over Indian cities is expected to be short-lived.

The IMD had earlier said that the height of the ash plumes was more than 10 km above ground, thus making it unlikely to worsen the already severe level pollution in Delhi, and some other parts of North India.

The ash plumes which have entered India are at a height of more than 10 km above the ground, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Therefore, Delhi’s pollution level is unlikely to worsen owing to the volcanic ash cloud.

However, due to its height, it has disrupted international flights in the Capital, with several of them being delayed. Air India and Akasa Air have cancelled some flights amid the ash cloud influence.

In the advisory released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, airlines have been asked to immediately report any suspected ash encounter. This includes any “”engine performance anomalies or cabin smoke/odour” due to the volcanic ash over parts of North India.

Meanwhile, operators have been directed to inspect runways, taxiways and aprons to ensure safety if the ash affects flight operations in airports.

As the ash plumes travel over Delhi, several flights from the Indira Gandhi International Airport to international destinations were delayed. These included flights to Hong Kong, Dubai, Jeddah, Helsinki, Kabul and Frankfurt.

Meanwhile, carriers Air India and Akasa Air have cancelled flights international and domestic flights. Air India has cancelled 11 flights, while Akasa Air cancelled flights to and from Jeddah, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi.

Ethiopia volcano ash LIVE: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said the ash was continuing its eastward movement and was likely to clear Indian skies by 7:30 pm. The weather body said, “High-level winds carried the ash cloud from Ethiopia across the Red Sea to Yemen and Oman and further over the Arabian Sea towards western and northern India.”

Ethiopia volcano eruption live updates: Residents of the nearby villages in Ethiopia’s Afar region recalled the moment when the long-dormant volcano went off. “It felt like a sudden bomb had been thrown with smoke and ash,” Ahmed Abdela, a local resident told AP as he described the incident as a shock wave.

According to forecast models, 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.

According to IndiaMetSky Weather, the influence of the ash plume has started reducing over North India, and is now dispersing into the upper atmosphere.

“The latest analysis suggest that ash plume 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,” the update said.

After cancelling 11 flights, including ones from New York to Delhi, Air India said that immediate assistance was being provided to the passengers.

“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,” the airline said in a statement on X.

While Air India cancelled 11 flights, including domestic and international, carrier Akasa Air has also cancelled all flights to and from Jeddah, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi amid the ash influence. These flights were scheduled for November 24 and November 25.

Amid the ash cloud influence over North India after the volcanic eruption in Ethiopia, Air India announced the cancellation of 11 flights.

Seven international flights, including ones from New York to Delhi, on November 24 were cancelled. Apart from these, four domestic flights scheduled for Tuesday were also cancelled.

The cancelled flights are listed below:

24 Nov

AI 106 – Newark–Delhi

AI 102 – New York (JFK)–Delhi

AI 2204 – Dubai–Hyderabad

AI 2290 – Doha–Mumbai

AI 2212 – Dubai–Chennai

AI 2250 – Dammam–Mumbai

AI 2284 – Doha–Delhi

25 Nov

AI 2822 – Chennai–Mumbai

AI 2466 – Hyderabad–Delhi

AI 2444 / 2445 – Mumbai–Hyderabad–Mumbai

AI 2471 / 2472 – Mumbai–Kolkata–Mumbai

The volcanic ash cloud from the eruption in Ethiopia’s Afar region is expected to drift towards China next. It will clear India by 14:00 GMT (7:30 pm local time) on Tuesday, according to the IMD.

The ash cloud, which reached Delhi at around 11 pm on Monday, has been drifting across the Red Sea and the Middle East over the past 24 hours. IMD’s Met Watch offices have been keeping a close track of its movements, with the ash plume also causing flight disruptions.

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.