*Mount Etna erupts today on the eastern coast of Sicily*
Paul Dorian
Plumes of ash and volcanic steam rise up earlier today from Mount Etna on Sicily’s eastern coast. Credit Reuters
Overview
Mount Etna erupted on Monday, surprising tourists and sending them fleeing to safety as huge plumes of ash and debris shot out of the volcano and into the sky, according to news reports. A pyroclastic flow, or avalanche of burning ash, crashed down the slopes of the volcano’s southeast crater, according to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology and the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Toulouse reported that the ash cloud had reached an estimated height of 21,000 feet. Despite the many videos of people fleeing down Mt. Etna during the eruption, no injuries or fatalities have resulted or been reported so far.
Tourists can be seen nearby the plume of ash from earlier today on Mount Etna. Credit @aurelienpouzin/X
Details
Mt. Etna is one of the tallest volcanos in Europe, standing at 11,165 feet tall. It is located on the eastern coast of Sicily, Italy in the Metropolitan City of Catania and sits between the cities of Messina and Catania. The most active volcano in Europe had been experiencing some activity in the last few hours with volcanic tremors felt overnight but has escalated to continuous 'explosions of growing intensity'. It is a very active stratovolcano known for its frequent and persistent eruptions, with over 15 eruptions reported in 2025 so far. The volcanic activity can range from explosive eruptions to lava flows and ash plumes.
Satellite image view earlier today from the ash cloud above Mount Etna. Credit NOAA, University of Wisconsin/CIMSS
The volcano on the Italian island is a popular tourist destination visited by 1.5 million people a year, many of whom trek almost all the way to its summit. Although Mt. Etna is one of the world’s most active volcanos, there hasn’t been an eruption of this magnitude since 2014, according to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology Observatory.
Map of Sicily, Italy with Mount Etna location shown by red marker.
These eruptions often stop as quickly as they start, the observatory added, though explosions are still increasing in intensity, and the mountain is spewing out a very small amount of lava and fire. This eruption, which began overnight, produced explosions heard as far away as Taormina and Catania, which are about 50 kilometers and 40 kilometers (31 miles and 25 miles) away, respectively, according to several witnesses who posted footage on social media.
The observatory said that the preliminary observations show a “partial collapse” of the northern flank of the volcano’s southeast crater, which has produced spectacular lava flows during recent eruptions in the last few months. None of the ash is expected to fall on Catania, the city at the foot of the volcano, though authorities are prepared to alert people to take cover if the wind changes.
Meteorologist Paul Dorian
Arcfield
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