Mount Etna erupted on Saturday, sending ash clouds and lava jets an estimated 1,000–1,300 ft (300–400 m) into the air while skiers continued on the slopes. INGV reported unpredictable “stop-and-go” activity, with strong explosions at the north‑east crater and a steady lava fountain on the Voragine flank. Satellite images tracked lava moving over a mile toward the Bove Valley; authorities raised the alert to red before downgrading it to orange as activity eased. Etna, about 11,000 ft tall, has produced several disruptive eruptions this year and since May 2023.
Skiers Keep Descending as Mount Etna Erupts, Spewing Lava and Ash Hundreds of Metres High
Clouds of volcanic ash were confined to the summit area of Mount Etna - Salvatore Allegra/Getty Images
Skiers continued to descend the slopes of Mount Etna on Saturday even as the volcano erupted, sending jets of molten lava and a vast plume of ash into the sky.
Lava and rock fragments were hurled an estimated 1,000–1,300 ft (about 300–400 m) from the volcano’s mouth on Sicily, witnesses and officials said. Satellite imagery showed flows travelling more than a mile (over 1.6 km) eastward toward the Bove Valley on Etna’s eastern flank.
Italy’s Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) described the activity as unpredictable “stop-and-go” episodes. In a statement late Saturday the institute said: “At 18:48 a series of strong explosions began at the north-east crater, spewing coarse pyroclastic material over the entire cone and well beyond its base.”
Streams of hot red lava and rock fragments spewed from the mouth of the volcano on the Italian island of Sicily - Salvatore Allegra/Getty Images
INGV also reported intensified activity at a vent on the upper flank of the Voragine crater, producing a near-constant lava fountain rising several tens of metres. Regional Civil Protection officials warned of “imminent fountains of lava” as flows advanced toward low-lying areas.
The INGV briefly issued a red alert for Etna — long regarded as Europe’s most active volcano — but by Sunday the institute said activity had eased and ash clouds were largely confined to the summit area, prompting a downgrade from red to orange. Despite the warning, flights continued to operate from nearby Catania’s Fontanarossa Airport during the episode.
At roughly 11,000 ft (about 3,350 m), Mount Etna is the tallest volcano in mainland Europe and has had several disruptive events in recent months. In June a powerful eruption sent a giant plume of ash, pumice and gas into the air, forcing evacuation of day trippers and tour groups. That event also caused a partial crater collapse and produced pyroclastic flows captured on surveillance cameras.
Earlier this year, in February, sightseers were warned to stay away after the season’s first major eruption produced lava flows and ash that disrupted air traffic. The last major eruption before this sequence occurred in May 2023, when authorities halted flights at Catania airport.
Safety note: Authorities and the INGV advise following official guidance and avoiding restricted zones around Etna. Volcanic activity can change rapidly and pose serious hazards including ashfall, lava flows and pyroclastic currents.
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