Scientists warn that the volcano off the coast of the North Island could continue to erupt for “weeks or months.”
The White Island volcano in New Zealand has erupted and thrown a huge cloud of ash into the sky. As a result, numerous flights had to be cancelled.
National airline Air New Zealand said ten flights had been cancelled on Thursday as volcanic ash blew across the flight paths of some domestic airports.
Government scientists warned that Whakaari, as the volcano is called by the country’s indigenous Maori people, could continue to erupt for “weeks or months”.
The volcanic island lies about 50 km off New Zealand’s North Island and 200 km from Auckland, the country’s largest city. Once a popular tourist destination, it has been closed since 2019, when a massive eruption of ash and steam killed 22 people visiting the island on a cruise.
Satellite images showed that there was “minor eruptive activity” earlier this month, research institute GNS Science said in a monitoring bulletin.
The GNS assumed that the recent activity was part of the “typical eruption cycles” documented at Whakaari.
“This activity could continue for some time, weeks to months,” they said.
Scientists said some people on New Zealand’s main islands may smell volcanic gases or experience mild eye or throat irritation, but the effects are expected to be minor.
New Zealand raised its volcano alert level to three out of a maximum of five levels earlier this month.
