A dangerous active volcano impacted air travel in Mexico City on Monday. The eruptive Popocatépetl, which has been spewing ash since last week, impacted over 100 AeroMexico (Mexico’s national airline) flights across the country, reports NBC News.
Governor of the Mexican state of Puebla, Sergio Salomón, tweeted on Monday that he and his advisors were working on a response to the eruptions in the event that they continue throughout the week.
NASA noted activity coming from Popocatépetl, which translates to “smoking mountain” in the Aztec people’s native language of Nahuatl, since April 14. In updates released by NASA earlier this month, Mexican scientists detected water vapor, volcanic ash, and gases coming from the volcano. NASA, in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey, also captured images of the sputtering volcano via satellite.
Flights on Saturday were paused for nearly five hours at both of Mexico City’s main airports due to ash. The ash can be a hindrance to pilots, as it can disrupt their view, radio communications and passenger planes’ jet engines, according to Benito Juarez International Airport.
As of Sunday, the National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC) has listed the volcanic threat to “yellow phase 3,” according to CNN. The warning encourages the nearly 3 million people that live near the volcano to prepare for a possible evacuation.
The outlet notes that Popocatépetl has been dormant for decades up until an eruption in 1994. Since then, nearby residents state that the volcano’s rumblings have been a daily occurance.
Roshae Hemmings is an arts and culture magazine journalist from St. Louis, MO. A graduate from the Missouri School of Journalism, Roshae has bylines in the Columbia Missourian, Vox Magazine and 5280 Magazine discussing topics ranging from pop culture, social justice and eat and drink. She is a foodie at heart and enjoys eating food as much as learning about the story behind it. You can reach Roshae via email at [email protected].
If you enjoy our perspective on travel and Black culture, please sign up for our newsletter. You should consider joining our travel club, too. Or maybe write a piece for us about your favorite destination. In other words, let’s stay connected!
©2023 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
