Papua New Guinea and Australia – Volcano Ash Cloud

Mount Tavurvur, a volcano in Papua New Guinea’s East New Britain Province, erupted early Aug. 29, sending a plume of ash and debris about 11 miles into the air. The ash is currently situated west of the volcano and is traveling northward; however, authorities fear that the cloud will begin spreading south in the near future. If it moves south, it could travel over eastern Australia in the coming days, likely severely affecting air traffic. Airlines are already on alert due to the ash plume. Qantas has revealed plans to detour several flights around the plume. Other airlines continue to monitor the plume, and may also be forced to reroute flights between East Asia and eastern Australia.