Volcanic ash cloud from Ethiopia sweeps into India, to exit by 7:30 pm

India witnesses ash influence after Ethiopia’s rare volcanic eruption. IMD issues timeline, DGCA warns of flight delays, and Akasa Air cancels Gulf routes

PGurus Newsdesk

November 25, 2025

Volcanic ash over India: Impacted regions, flight disruptions, IMD forecast

Ash plume impacts North and West India; IMD tracks movement toward China

A massive ash plume from Ethiopia’s long-dormant Hayli Gubbi volcano, which erupted on Tuesday, travelled across the Red Sea and reached India late Monday night, according to meteorological agencies monitoring its movement. The ash cloud entered Delhi around 11 pm and has since expanded across several northern and western states.

Forecast models indicate that the plume will influence parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi-NCR, Maharashtra, Punjab and Haryana before moving toward the Himalayan region and the adjoining Terai belt in Uttar Pradesh, IndiaMetSky Weather reported. The plume contains volcanic ash, sulphur dioxide and fine rock particles and is travelling at speeds of 100–120 km/h over North India at altitudes between 15,000 and 25,000 feet, with some layers reaching up to 45,000 feet.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the ash cloud is moving toward China and is expected to leave Indian airspace by 14:00 GMT (7:30 pm IST) on Tuesday. The IMD earlier confirmed that satellite imagery showed the volcanic plume rising to nearly 45,000 feet after Tuesday’s eruption in Ethiopia’s Afar region.

High-level winds carried the ash across Yemen and Oman before it drifted over the Arabian Sea and entered India. IMD’s Met Watch offices in Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata are continuously monitoring dispersion models and advisories from global Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres.

The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued an advisory to airlines regarding potential flight disruptions. Following this, Akasa Air cancelled its scheduled flights to and from Jeddah, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi on November 24 and 25, Reuters reported.

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