Icelandic volcano has started to erupt

[GlaceDragonflies]

Good news though, it's where the ice is thinner so less flooding hopefully.

Flooding? I thought dust was the main problem, especially if wanting to fly anywhere.

Europe needed more than a 1600 watt vacuum back then, for months we needed a giant bag to collect it in.

No, the part that is erupting is under a glacier so at the moment it's OK, it's in a different part to the Bardarbunga volcano. No flights are allowed there at the moment. It's all down to if it's a big eruption from the volcano itself.
At the moment it's looking like this: www.ruv.is/frett/live-webcam-of-bardarbunga-volcano

Oh no, not again.
We got caught in the dust cloud and no flights the last time while abroad.

And I am planning on flying to my cousin's wedding in 3 weeks' time

Pacific I'm no expert about flights but I read somewhere that newer technology means there is less likely to be a problem, but you sure as heck wouldn't get me in a plane through volcanic ash.

At the moment the airports in Iceland are open but a large area over the volcano is, predictably, a no fly zone.

OH is airborne right now, flying to Seoul. Hopefully he is well out of the way.

I'm sure he'll be fine, it's all under ice at the moment and planes would divert well away from the area if they had to, he'll flying away from Iceland anyway won't he?

We've just flown from the US landing this morning. Dh was following the volcano info the last day or two as he was concerned about flights being affected. Dd was hoping it would abrupt and ground us on holiday; she remembers people being stuck on holiday the last time.

We're watching closely as DS is due to fly to Iceland in 3 weeks. Joining a cruise ship as a guest act, stating on board from there to Ireland. Kind of critical he gets there on time.

*staying

Oh bugger - DP and I are supposed to be off to Amsterdam on Wednesday. Do you think we'll be able to go?

At the moment they are saying international plane travel is OK but nothing big has happened yet, it may or may not.

Thanks, Glace. I'll keep a close eye on the news and see what happens.

There are several hundred feet of ice on top of the volcano. So even though it has started erupting, it still has this to go through. Then if it was an eruption that had a lot of ash, it would still take several days to drift over Europe.

At this stage, it is all ifs still. I'm fairly sure, flying to Amsterdam on Wednesday would be fine. I personally would be more worried about returning. So I would be checking my travel insurance as many companies do not cover it.

There was an article about this a couple of days ago:
www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/insurance/travel/11047965/Just-one-in-four-insurers-covers-volcanic-ash-as-standard.html

However I would recommend you check your individual policy as I am aware that list is slightly misleading as there are other insurers not on that list that do cover it (I think for example, Barclays do cover but they don't appear in the article as they aren't a major travel insurer).

The problems aren't with flying out, its getting stranded and flying back thats the problem... last time we got lucky and our flight out was the day they reopened airspace - when we got to our destination, it was still in total chaos and I really would not want to be in that situation.

Oh no I'm meant to be flying to Italy on Friday, do you think I'll make it? (Pointless question I realise, you can't know that!) DH has been out there for a month already, I'll be gutted if I can't get.

All that said:

www.livefromiceland.is/webcams/bardarbunga/

Looks like ash to me...

Crap - just checked our policy (we're with Allianz) and they won't pay out if, for whatever reason, the airline decides we can't fly.

Here's hoping that nothing major happens...

Red the webcam has been like that since this early this morning, they've got a problem with it.

I've just checked another Bardarbunga live stream/webcam and it shows misty sort of haziness (very scientific ) over the ground, but nothing spectacular.

I can see that I'm going to become a volcano-watching obsessive over the next week or so.

Re the safety of flying in volcano dust (above ice), I saw the other day a technical bod from EasyJet ( yes they have one) on Sky I believe, and he said that technology has come on from the last volcano, re the tracking of volcano dust and the coating in engines available to stop them damaging various 'bits'.

Apparent NEXT time there will be no government blanket ban on flying JUST IN CASE enough dust in on every route, we have the ways and means to KNOW when unsafe to fly.

Glace, the webcam is moving on my computer. It looks like ash/steam rising rather than rain falling.

They are now saying it was a "small eruption" which was under a glacier.

Gloria has put some good links onto This thread including a superb blog and some webcams. We are calling it Grimsbunga as it seems to perhaps be a result of Grimsvötn and Bárðarbunga sharing a rift.

Have a look at this one: www.livefromiceland.is/webcams/bardarbunga/