We have had some extreme weather here in the UK lately, from heavy rain- to heavy snow- to sunny spells. We now have volcanic ash to deal with and people are not happy! A volcano in Iceland has decided to erupt and we are faced with a huge ash cloud flying over Europe. It causes most planes to be grounded. That means that if you were going on holiday anytime soon – you are not anymore!
I had thought the reason to worry about a volcano was the boiling hot lava flowing out if it, but it’s now clear that the harmless looking black cloud above it can cause its own problems. Although we can’t actually see the smoke from here we are definitely feeling the effects – no planes are allowed off the ground and we don’t know when things will improve. At the moment life for people in Iceland has apparently not been affected too much but if the wind changes direction and keeps the ash on Iceland’s mainland, people might have to be evacuated.
I don’t know much about volcanoes but it’s pretty obvious that breathing in volcanic ash is not going to be good for you!
I always expected an active volcano would be amazing to experience but right now the only people who seem to be excited are the scientists. Big events like the Formula 1 Grand Prix and football matches are being disrupted, along with many concerts. I feel bad for struggling organisations around the world relying on air travel – they are being hit yet again in this recession and a lot of money will continue to be lost until the volcano calms down. I feel most sorry for those people who went on holiday over the Easter break and are now stranded overseas until further notice! (Although being stranded somewhere nice might not necessarily be a bad thing!!) I just hope things get better by next month when I plan to fly off to Cyprus!