When Will Volcanic Ash Leave Delhi, Other Parts Of India? What Weather Body Said

The high-altitude mass of Ethiopian volcanic ash over Delhi and other areas will move away from India and drift towards China by 7 pm today, India Meteorological Department (IMD) chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told NDTV.

The ash clouds from the Hayli Gubbi volcano in northern Ethiopia, which erupted after 12,000 years, reached Gujarat last night via the Arabian Sea and travelled to Delhi around midnight. It also moved through Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana. According to the IMD chief, the clouds are moving towards China via Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

The volcanic ash is eight to 15 kilometres above sea level and is travelling with wind speeds of 150 km/h - leaving no impact on the already 'very poor' air quality in Delhi.

"People need not panic. We have not issued any advisory. However, an advisory has been issued for aircraft operators. If the concentration of this ash were higher, it could have formed clouds. The volcanic ash will have no impact on Delhi's pollution," Mohapatra said.

Airline Ops Hit

The volcanic ash has impacted several flights arriving at the Delhi airport, with the high levels of sulphur (and the high altitude) being flagged as possibly affecting aviation traffic in its path. According to official data, a total of 19 international flights were disrupted today - seven cancelled and 12 delayed.

Flights from Newark to Delhi, New York to Delhi, Dubai to Hyderabad, Doha to Mumbai, Dubai to Chennai, Dammam to Mumbai, Doha to Delhi, Chennai to Mumbai, and Hyderabad to Delhi were among those cancelled.

India's aviation body issued an advisory, asking airlines to strictly avoid volcanic ash-affected areas and flight levels and adjust flight planning, routing, and fuel considerations based on the latest advisories. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) asked the airlines to immediately report any suspected ash encounter, including engine performance anomalies or cabin smoke/odour.

Airlines, including Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet, were affected.

Air India, in its advisory, said, "We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to passengers due to this unforeseen situation beyond our control. The safety of our passengers and crew remains our highest priority."

IndiGo said it was "fully prepared" with all necessary precautions to ensure safe and reliable operations.

"Following the recent eruption of the Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia, ash clouds are reported to be drifting towards parts of western India. We understand that such news may cause concern, and we want to reassure you that your safety remains our highest priority. Our teams are closely tracking the situation in coordination with international aviation bodies. We are fully prepared with all necessary precautions to ensure safe and reliable operations," the airline posted on X.