The volcanic eruptions spewing ash into Britain’s skies intensified yesterday as officials warned that the ominous cloud will hover above the country for at least a week, causing further misery for travellers. Hopes that some flights might have been permitted this weekend were dashed as more dust accumulated in the country’s airspace.
Last night, the unprecedented air lockdown was extended until at least 1pm today but the flight restrictions which have left people stranded all over Europe are now expected to extend further into the week.Even Air Ambulance services were forced to ground their helicopters across Britain amid fears that the lowering ash level would interfere with flying. And the Met Office warned that there was growing evidence of ash falling to the ground, which will raise concerns of a health risk for children and the elderly.The start of day three of the chaos caused by Eyjafjallajoekull’s eruptions saw the scale of the volcano’s emissions grow in intensity with a fresh plume of ash being blasted 30,000ft into the air.
As the day developed, officials at the Met Office confirmed that the new dust – a combination of fine glass and rock – was being blown over the UK where it was settling on top of the cloud created by initial eruptions earlier in the week. (Daily Mail)
