The Etna volcano, located on the island of Sicily (south) and considered the most active in Europe, has registered this Monday a new lava eruption that has also expelled a cloud of ash over the city of Catania, forcing it to close your airport in the middle of the high tourist season.

“Due to the eruptive activity of Etna, the Catania airport has been closed,” the aerodrome manager announced in a statement, asking passengers to check with their airline. possible changes or deviationsalso on arrival flights.

The reopening is expected for this afternoon, although it is subject to change. The closure of the aerodrome coincides with the start of the holidays on August 15, which in Italy is popularly known as “Ferragosto”, and with the island of Sicily as one of the favorite destinations for Italians and foreigners in the summer .

Etna undergoes frequent eruptions that usually cover the Sicilian cities around it with ash, the last one in May.

The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) has confirmed the activity, which “turned into a lava fountain”, producing an eruptive cloud dispersed by the southerly winds, as well as a diversion of the lava flow towards the south of the crater at an altitude of 2,800 meters.