The ash cloud from the recent volcanic eruption in Ethiopia has cleared Pakistan’s atmosphere, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) confirmed on Tuesday. PMD spokesperson Anjum Nazeer Zaighum reported that the volcanic ash is now drifting over parts of India.
The eruption occurred at the Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region, approximately 800 kilometres northeast of Addis Ababa near the Eritrean border. The volcano erupted for several hours two days ago, sending a massive column of ash and smoke nearly 45,000 feet into the atmosphere.
Following the event, the PMD issued a volcanic ash advisory for the aviation industry, marking the first time such a warning had been issued in Pakistan’s history. Zaighum clarified that the ash plume posed no environmental risk to Pakistan, as it remained at altitudes above 45,000 feet and moved at speeds of 15 to 20 kilometres per hour. He added that Pakistan would have experienced environmental effects only if the eruption had occurred in a closer region, noting that the high altitude of the ash prevented any impact on the country.
