Air New Zealand cancels flights amid White Island volcanic eruption
Featured image: Satellite image of White Island volcano on August 14, 2024. Credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, The Watchers
Satellite imagery has captured a continuous low-level eruption at New Zealand’s White Island volcano, with an ash plume rising to 2 100 m (7 000 feet) above sea level and drifting southeast at 9 km/h (5 mph) on Thursday, August 22, 2024. The eruption prompted 10 flight cancellations, according to Air New Zealand.
Satellite imagery shows a continuous low-level eruption at the White Island volcano, with the resulting ash plume rising to a height of 2 100 m (7 000 feet) and moving towards the southeast at a speed of 9.3 km/h (5 mph), according to a report published by the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Wellington on Thursday.
Air New Zealand canceled ten flights and delayed three others out of Tauranga and Rotorua on Thursday due to the volcanic ash cloud disrupting flight routes.
The Alert Level remains at 3 and the Aviation Color Code at Orange.
The most likely hazards from this volcano right now are near the crater.
Due to ongoing activity, nobody is allowed on White Island.
The advice from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council Harbourmaster is for boaties to avoid the waters around the island. The specific advice is to maintain a distance of at least 3.7 km (2.3 miles).
White Island erupted violently on December 9, 2019, while 47 people were visiting the active volcanic island. The eruption was sudden and explosive, releasing a plume of steam, ash, and volcanic gases that engulfed the island.
The intensity of the eruption caught the tourists and guides off guard, leaving them with little time to escape. The conditions on the island were already dangerous due to the acidic environment and the presence of boiling mud and fumaroles, making the situation even more perilous during the eruption.
As a result of the eruption, 22 people lost their lives due to severe burns and injuries sustained from the intense heat, ash, and toxic gases. The remaining survivors suffered critical injuries, including extensive burns, many of whom required long-term medical treatment.
The disaster raised significant concerns about the risks associated with tourism in geologically active areas and led to investigations into the management and regulation of such tourist activities.
This eruption remains one of New Zealand’s most tragic natural disasters in recent history.
1 Cancellations and disruption due to Whakaari/White Island volcanic ash – Air New Zealand – August 22, 2024
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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