Video: New Safety Alerts as Mexico’s Popocatepetl Volcano Eruption Continues
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Mexico’s second-highest peak, the volcano Popocatepetl, began pouring ash into the sky over the weekend, temporarily closing the airports in nearby Mexico City.
Popocatepetl continued to erupt on Tuesday, with incandescent rock fragments being spotted at airports, causing the Mexican government to increase the alert level in the capital city to Yellow Phase 3, its highest alert level that is not a "red" level alarm.
The National Coordination for Civil Protection (CNPC) notice warned residents across the region to limit going outside as much as possible and to breathe through masks or cloth facial coverings while outside. It also warns of low to intermediate explosive eruptive activity from the volcano, including explosions that could hurl rock fragments, as well as light to moderate ashfall. The warning also carries the possibility of lava.
Video and photos captured the smoke and fiery plumes, which were visible from Mexico City, 40 miles to the northwest. However, days of eruptions have pumped enough ash into the air to significantly reduce visibility for dozens of miles around.
Incandescent materials, ash and smoke are spewed from the Popocatepetl volcano as seen from thr Santiago Xalitzintla community, state of Puebla, Mexico, on May 22, 2023. Mexican authorities on May 21 raised the warning level for the Popocatepetl volcano to one step below red alert, as smoke, ash and molten rock spewed into the sky posing risks to aviation and far-flung communities below. Sunday's increased alert level -- to "yellow phase three" -- comes a day after two Mexico City airports temporarily halted operations due to falling ash.
Incandescent materials, ash and smoke are spewed from the Popocatepetl volcano in San Nicolas de los Ranchos, Puebla state, Mexico on May 20, 2023.
The Popocatepetl Volcano spews ash and smoke as seen from thr Santiago Xalitzintla community, state of Puebla, Mexico, on May 22, 2023. Mexican authorities on May 21 raised the warning level for the Popocatepetl volcano to one step below red alert, as smoke, ash and molten rock spewed into the sky posing risks to aviation and far-flung communities below. Sunday's increased alert level -- to "yellow phase three" -- comes a day after two Mexico City airports temporarily halted operations due to falling ash.
Así el Volcán #Popocatépetl este 22 de Mayo, 2023.
— Enrique Barquet (@enriquebarquet) May 23, 2023
.#Popocatepetl #VolcanPopocatepetl #VolcánPopocatépetl #PopocatepetlVolcano pic.twitter.com/9Xj8qm2EZg
View of Popo from Puebla this morning….#Popocatépetl #Mexico #Volcan #volcano #eruption
— Volcaholic 🇰🇪 🇬🇧 🌋 (@volcaholic1) May 23, 2023
Source: Webcams de Mexico & CENAPRED pic.twitter.com/jErQ4nvN1a
The 17,800-foot-high volcano, which dominates the skyline to the southeast of Mexico City and is known to locals simply as "El Popo," has erupted regularly since 2000, when it released its largest eruption in 1,200 years. However, it has been observed erupting numerous times going back to at least 1363, when the indigenous Aztec Empire held sway across the region.
The latest eruption began on Saturday, causing school closures in nearby towns. So far, no evacuations have been ordered, although residents have been advised to stay away from the volcano and seismologists have tracked regular rumblings in the ground.
Strong winds have carried Popo's ash plume to the east, reaching the Bay of Campeche, according to data from satellites operated by the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). However, ash has fallen across the region, causing airport runways to close temporarily in North America's largest city.
