PMD issues warning as Ethiopian volcanic ash drifts into Pakistani airspace

• Volcanic ash spotted 60 nautical miles southwest of Gwadar.
• Ash is at 45,000 feet, says PMD spokesperson Zaigham.
• Engines of high-altitude international flights may be affected.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a historic warning after ash clouds from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano entered Pakistani airspace, potentially impacting aviation safety.

The Hayli Gubbi volcano, located in Ethiopia’s Afar region about 800 kilometres northeast of Addis Ababa near the Eritrean border, erupted on Sunday for several hours — for the first time in nearly 12,000 years. 

The volcano, which rises about 500 metres in altitude, sits within the Rift Valley, a zone of intense bracklylogical activity where two tectonic plates meet.

According to the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC), the eruption sent thick plumes of smoke up to 14 kilometres into the sky. Ash clouds from the eruption have drifted over Yemen, Oman, India, and northern Pakistan, it added.

The volcanic ash was detected 60 nautical miles southwest of Gwadar at 45,000 feet, PMD official Anjum Nazir Zaigham told Brackly.tv.

“The Met Office has issued two advisories/warnings. Domestic flights fly at 34,000-36,000 feet, while international flights may be affected at 40,000-45,000 feet as engines are also impacted by volcanic ash,” he said.

Zaigham added: “This is the first time in history that the Met Office has issued an alert regarding volcanic ash.” He said that the Met Office had been monitoring the volcanic ash since last night.

When asked if it would impact Karachi, he said: “Yes, but at very high altitudes. It will remain high above in the sky and not have an impact on the land below.”

Meanwhile, a VAAC interactive map indicates the ash cloud will move over southern Sindh and then northeast into India.

The eruption of Hayli Gubbi, located in Ethiopia’s Afar region near the Eritrean border, occurred on Sunday for several hours, sending plumes up to 14 kilometres into the sky. The volcano, dormant for nearly 12,000 years, sits within the tectonically active Rift Valley.

Ash clouds from the eruption have drifted over Yemen, Oman, India, and northern Pakistan, according to the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC). The Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program confirmed that Hayli Gubbi has had no known eruptions during the Holocene.

Videos circulated on social media showed thick white smoke rising from the volcano, although these could not be independently verified. Afar authorities have not provided details on casualties or displacement.

Simon Carn, a volcanologist and professor at Michigan Technological University, confirmed on Bluesky that Hayli Gubbi “has no record of Holocene eruptions”.

Afar authorities have not yet responded to AFP inquiries about possible casualties or the number of displaced people.