Italy's Etna and Stromboli volcanoes erupt.
Eruptions at Italy's Mount Etna and the smaller Stromboli volcano spewed hot ash and lava, raising alert levels on the Mediterranean island of Sicily and forcing a temporary shutdown of Catania Airport on Friday.
Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes, has seen intense activity in recent days, lighting up the sky near the city of Catania, while Stromboli off the northern Sicilian coast has spilled lava into the sea.
A phase of violent lava fountaining started at Etna’s Voragine crater during the afternoon hours of July 4, 2024. At the same time, significantly increased activity is being observed at Stromboli volcano.
A gradual increase in activity was observed at Stromboli volcano starting at around 17:30 UTC on July 3, 2024. By July 4, a new lava flow and pyroclastic flows were recorded, reaching the coastline and spreading into the sea. At 18:00, the Department of Civil Protection raised the alert level for the volcano from Orange to Red and transitioned to the pre-alarm operational phase.