Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull Volcano

[Snowcheeks]

Brightening up a bit webcam

[Coast]

The Dunkirk Spirit lives!!!

TV presenter Dan Snow has mounted an operation to help people who are stranded in France following flight cancellations to return to the UK.

He has secured five rigid inflatable boats, each of which can hold ten people, which are being used throughout Sunday after leaving Dover at 0900 BST.

The team will ask for donations from those using the boats, with profits going to the Help for Heroes charity.

Anyone requiring help can contact the operation via rescueteam@hotmail.co.uk.

They can also go to www.twitter.com/calaisrescue for more information.

The trip from Dover to Calais and back is expected to take two hours.

Dan Snow said the idea came about after his friend's wife became stranded as airspace across Europe was closed following the Icelandic volcanic ash alert.

He said it was also inspired by a recent project for the BBC marking the 70th anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuation.

"I know this is a drop in the ocean to the thousands of stranded people around the world, but it's important that we all do our bit," he added.

And he urged anyone with rigid inflatable boats that they would like to lend to the cause to get in touch.

His friend Sam Peters, whose wife is stranded, said: "We have a ground team in England who will be co-ordinating all the requests and we'll try to get as many trips completed as we can.

"My main priority is to get Debs and her friends home safe and well. If we can help as many other people as possible in the process then even better".

news.bbc.co.uk

[Snowcheeks]

I keep seeing a car/van drive to the house on the left and a few people walking at the bottom of the pic - not sure i'd want to be that close

[Roo]

The Dunkirk Spirit lives!!!

Do you think they could be persuaded to leave Dan Snow there?

[Coast]

Latest Hi Res satellite picture from the Norweigan site, www.yr.no:

[The PIT]

Latest from Met office

The Eyjafjallajökull volcano is still erupting, and possibly intensifying, with the ash plume rising to 30,000 feet. Evidence of ash dust over the UK is being detected by Met Office observations and there are reports of dust reaching the ground.

The Met Office commissioned NERC research flight flew over the North Sea on Friday afternoon and detected 3 distinct layers of ash, from fine particles at low levels to large particles around 8,000 feet.

All these observations are consistent with our forecast plumes for where the ash cloud would spread and how it would mix through the atmosphere.

The Met Office is working closely with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and National Air Traffic Services (NATS), and because of the worsening volcanic activity UK airspace has now been closed until 1am Sunday. We continue to look for weather windows that will allow air space restrictions to be lifted.

We are also liaising with Health Protection Scotland and the Health Protection Agency and dust collected at Lerwick and Aberdeen has been analysed by Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Preliminary analysis has shown that the properties of the particles appear to be consistent with the properties of volcanic ash, but further more detailed analysis is being undertaken.

Decisions on flights and airline movement is controlled by NATS. The Met Office is unable to advise of any details of any flights. However, many airlines are providing information on their websites.

The only update I can find.

[PB22]

Personally I would rather catch a train or coach across Europe rather than taking the slightest risk. Also if the planes do fly when the cloud is still around what compensation would a more sensible or nervous passenger receive if they refused to fly?

I am glad I am not on any legal team making possible life or death decisions.

I don't usually praise Ryanair but I think they made the wisest decision to say no planes until Monday (or possibly beyond?) as just keep extending the deadline by 6 hours is giving false hope to stranded passengers.

Absolutely, if I had any plans to fly during the next week or so and my flight was going ahead, I would cancel them, regardless of importance. I wouldn't feel safe at all. It will be interesting to see what happens because I am sure the pressure must be building on the airlines big time. What price a human life though? Sure, it will be hugely frustrating for those people stranded, but I'd rather be safe and allive!

Provided the volcano continues to erupt, it looks likely to me that atmospheric conditions will continue to favour the ash cloud heading in our direction for several days yet.

[Tom D]

Watching http://www.flightradar24.com/ at the moment and there's a solitary KLM flight above the Netherlands, and there was a flight going around above Bucks but it's just vanished from the site (did it land at Luton?).

As winds turn more directly northerly, and almost directly from Iceland in the next couple of days, I see absolutely no possibility of any UK air travel until late next week now, when there are signs of winds finally changing to easterly over Iceland and westerly here. Whether the ash cloud will be able to wrap around the low pressure system, moving westwards out of Iceland, south over the Atlantic then eastward back to the UK remains to be seen.

[coldfingers]

Just saw lightning flashing on the webcam but as it is so cloudy am unsure if it is linked to the volcanic eruption or just the poor weather. I would tend to choose the former.

[MAF]

i too saw that plane disappear off the map

the KLM flight is flying pretty low Alt: 1950feet (594 m)

i am at a loss as to whether KLM are doing the right thing or not. if the cloud level is high enough to fly under than how much of a risk is it to fly traffic

[Optimus Prime]

The eruption itself I think has been blown way out of proportion. It's only because it's effecting human activity that it gets any press. In reality it's just a small volcanic eruption.

[The PIT]

Snow falling on the cams. Come on lets see the volcano.

Forecast for the region so some good days coming up.

KLM up again.

Edited April 18, 2010 by The PIT

[Mondy]

Air France to do test flights over SW France this afternoon

[Costa Del Fal]

Despite the cloud and snow, does anyone know the latest at the volcano?

[The PIT]

Despite the cloud and snow, does anyone know the latest at the volcano?

Nope only that the seismic activity is rising steadily.

[Mondy]

Central Europe currently free of ash clouds: http://bit.ly/bDFQ4Q

http://edition.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2010/04/17/tuchman.ash.volcano.flyover.cnn

[LadyPakal]

Just having a shower of hail here - wonder how much ash dust is trapped in each one...

Cars are filthy here.

Edited April 18, 2010 by LadyPakal

[sconetone]

i too saw that plane disappear off the map

the KLM flight is flying pretty low Alt: 1950feet (594 m)

i am at a loss as to whether KLM are doing the right thing or not. if the cloud level is high enough to fly under than how much of a risk is it to fly traffic

I am absolutely livid about this.

Who the hell do KLM think they are?

It was only 2 years ago they were in the X-Factor and even then they didn't win. Now they are trying to tell us when it's safe to fly.

Reminds me of the time that the Bay City Rollers told everyone 'Betamax is the future'

Disgusting

I blame Simon Cowell

[dogs32]

As the cloud thickens, some pilots are asking... Why can't we just fly beneath it?

And there will be many among the 200,000 Britons currently stranded abroad, who would be quite happy to take the risk

[Optimus Prime]

I'd rather not take the risk, instead use this opportunity to remain in Spain, soak up the sun and never return to that horrible Island again.

[TEITS]

The eruption itself I think has been blown way out of proportion. It's only because it's effecting human activity that it gets any press. In reality it's just a small volcanic eruption.

I disagree.

The volcanic eruption might be relatively small but the effects on aviation are well known. So far I feel the decision to ban airlines from flying has been very wise. I can assure you several airlines crashing would recieve even more press!!

I cannot believe some airlines are putting money ahead of safety. I certainly wouldn't risk flying despite whatever inconvinience I was experiencing.

[Snowyowl9]

The mid level cloud and low cloud are coming in from the east today,same goes as the wind too very light.

Can`t say as theres any dust fallen here yet,but skies are now very hazy and dusty looking.

Be interesting when it does rain.

http://wzkarten.de/pics/brack0a.gif

[coldfingers]

I disagree.

The volcanic eruption might be relatively small but the effects on aviation are well known. So far I feel the decision to ban airlines from flying has been very wise. I can assure you several airlines crashing would recieve even more press!!

I cannot believe some airlines are putting money ahead of safety. I certainly wouldn't risk flying despite whatever inconvinience I was experiencing.

Ah the voice of reason. Anyone considering "taking the risk" need only remember that even the Polish president wasn't immune to danger from an aircraft flying in poor weather conditions! It is a long way to fall and a messy way to go. Safety issues should always come ahead of impatience or monetary considerations. Besides the airlins stand to lose a lot more if they ruin the planes engines never mind risk to passengers.

[NorthNorfolkWeather]

I disagree.

The volcanic eruption might be relatively small but the effects on aviation are well known. So far I feel the decision to ban airlines from flying has been very wise. I can assure you several airlines crashing would recieve even more press!!

I cannot believe some airlines are putting money ahead of safety. I certainly wouldn't risk flying despite whatever inconvinience I was experiencing.

Spot on TIETS. Watch what will happen though, if they decide to fly and you travel, your insurance will not be valid. And it only takes one plane to come down, and the press will be jumping all over the profit motive.

[kold weather]

Well on the grand scale of things it is a rather moderate volcano, not too severe, esp when compared with some of then bigger eruptions of the 20th centruy, but still its the geographical position of it and the fact its coming during a -ve NAO spell that is really messing things up at the moment.

The only good news I can see is the models are real keen on developing a strong Mid Atlantic upper low which would give Europe SW aloft, which is something that would be of great help, though Scandinavia could be effected for a very long time yet...