Mount Etna Eruption 2025: Live Updates, Flight Disruptions, and Jaw-Dropping Lava Footage Driving Global Buzz

Europe’s tallest and most active volcano roared back to life just before dawn on 2 June 2025, when Mount Etna hurled incandescent lava fountains hundreds of metres into the Sicilian sky and drove a towering ash column that disrupted flights and sent tourists scrambling for safety. Volcanologists at Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) detected a sharp rise in volcanic tremor shortly after 03:00 local time, signalling magma’s rapid ascent through Etna’s South-East Crater system. Within minutes, a series of powerful paroxysms produced lava jets estimated at 300–400 m high and an ash plume that the institute said reached about 8 km (26,000 ft) above sea level. Prevailing winds pushed the ash south-east toward the Ionian coast, dusting cars and balconies in Catania and Syracuse and forcing residents to keep windows shut. Safety measures and airport impact • Catania–Fontanarossa Airport (CTA), Sicily’s second-busiest hub, suspended all departures between 05:30 and 08:15 while runway crews cleared volcanic grit, delaying at least 38 flights and triggering knock-on cancellations across Italy’s domestic network. • Civil Protection officials raised the alert level to orange and cordoned off the upper slopes above 2,500 m, urging hikers to descend immediately. Evacuation orders were not deemed necessary for surrounding villages, but residents of Zafferana Etnea and Nicolosi were told to stay indoors if heavy ash fall resumed. • Local tour operators suspended summit excursions for at least 48 hours, offering free re-booking once authorities give the all-clear. Dramatic eyewitness footage circulating on social media shows pyroclastic flows racing down Etna’s flanks and panicked holiday-makers sprinting for tour buses at Rifugio Sapienza. One British visitor described hearing “a deafening roar like a jet engine” before the sky turned “midnight black at sunrise.” Geological context Etna sits at the collision zone between the African and Eurasian plates and erupts almost annually, yet this week’s event ranks among the volcano’s most energetic episodes since February 2021. According to INGV, sustained Strombolian activity had been building for several weeks, and satellite thermal imagery on 27 May hinted at magma accumulation beneath the summit cones. Historic eruptions — including the infamous 1669 flank eruption that buried parts of Catania under lava — underscore the volcano’s capacity for devastation. Today’s residents benefit from dense monitoring: more than 200 seismic stations, GPS receivers and thermal cameras feed real-time data to INGV’s Etna Observatory, allowing scientists to issue timely warnings and refine eruption forecasts. Health and travel advice • Wear FFP2/N95 masks and protective goggles if venturing outside in areas affected by ash. • Drivers should reduce speed; volcanic grit can turn roads into a skating rink and damage engines. • Travellers flying to or from Sicily are urged to check airline apps and the airport’s social channels for schedule updates. • Hikers should verify trail closures with Etna Park authorities; trespassing in restricted zones carries heavy fines. What happens next? INGV reports that tremor amplitude decreased by midday, indicating waning explosivity, but residual Strombolian bursts and minor ash emissions could persist for days. The institute warns that new fissures can open without warning along Etna’s flanks; anyone living within 10 km should keep emergency kits ready and monitor official bulletins. While Sicilians are accustomed to Etna’s fiery temper, each eruption reshapes the mountain and renews the island’s fertile soils, drawing tourists eager to witness Earth’s raw power. For now, authorities continue to balance spectacle with safety as Europe’s volcanic giant reminds the world of its restless nature.