Mt. Etna eruption sends 7‑km ash plume and piroclastic flow

On the morning of 30‑31 July 2026 the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) recorded a new eruptive episode at Mt. Etna’s Voragine crater. A small piroclastic flow descended the desertic Valle del Bove while an ash cloud rose to about 7 km above sea level and drifted toward the volcano’s western sector, depositing ash in the town of Bronte.

The activity intensified from strombolian bursts to lava fountains, then gradually weakened. Tremor amplitudes remained high before a rapid decline, and infrasonic signals were low. Aviation alerts (VONA) were lowered from red to orange, and flights continued to operate at Catania’s Vincenzo Bellini airport. A separate lava flow was observed in the high‑altitude Valle del Leone at roughly 2 700 m, with ash carried southwest toward Monte Denza. INGV continues to monitor seismic, infrasonic and deformation data and will issue further notices if conditions change.