Air passengers in Ireland, UK and Scotland are facing the risk of further disruption from volcanic ash next week. The UK Met Office said that high levels of ash will cover the country on Monday.
“Latest information received from the Icelandic Meteorological Office indicates that the explosive activity from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano is continuing, with the ash plume reaching heights of up to around 25,000 ft. The Icelandic Meteorological Office state that there are no signs that the eruption is about to end, with the situation remaining dynamic,” the Met Office announced in an update.
The Office cannot impose any flight restrictions, but will provide frequently updated information to NATS and CAA, the two institutions that can make such operational decisions. NATS will announce any airspace restrictions if they become necessary. At the moment we write this no such announcement has been made. UK Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson advised passengers to check flight details with airlines before traveling to the airport.
The Met Office already published a five days prediction charts section on their website, where you can see a prognostic. Below, a chart that shows you the forecast position of the volcanic ash cloud on Tuesday, 18 May for example.
The charts assume that the volcano will continue to erupt at the same intensity at the time of each issue for the whole of the following 5 day period.
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