Icelandic volcano - Grimsvotn eruption

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

starting a thread here about it as it is possible there may be some air travel disruption perhaps from it. I don't think it will be on the scale of Eyjaf from what i've been reading but it is possible that the back edge of tomorrows storm may bring the ash over uk space. If it does then the amount of disruption caused will depend on the type of ash (at the moment coarser I believe than Eyjafs eruption, so less likely to hang around) and the height and density of the plume. I'll spend a bit of time later trawling the boards and news to try and get a better feel for probabilities.

thanks kitten.... (can I call you kitten?)

:) of course you can!!

latest news including the report that Obama is said to be leaving Ireland early ahead of the ash.

It was very odd last year we live on flight path to stansted and was very quite took us a while to work out what was differnt as we so use dto the planes

quiet*

Meant to be moving back to England next week after having lived abroad for one year..... I really really hope I make it home, I have a UK holiday booked!

AIBU (I know, I know, wrong topic!) to hope that just one particular person I know, doesn't make it on holiday? She gets right on my nerves! She does nothing, but live off her husband, doesn't work, doesn't have primary aged kids and harps on constantly about how tired she is and thank god it's the weekend. If I read one more Facebook comment about her flippin' holiday I may be forced to take action!

Anywayyyyy. I hope for everyones (except her) sake, the ash cloud moves off quickly and you all get where ever you are going.

Sorry for the rant!

lol @ Maureen

Oh dear, Maureen

Latest 'ashcast' from the metoffice.

Thanks gloria for the 'ashcasts'. I know my flight may get cancelled on Thursday, but it is still very interesting all the same

hmm, interesting graph. is the red the no-fligh zone?

mousymouse - the red zone is designated as 'high concentration'. From what I've read operators have to submit plans on how they will safely fly through medium and high density ash clouds. Many (according to the article I read) have plans ready for med density but none for high density.
I wish I'd bookmarked that one, so I could double check the truth of it!

Thanks for explaining that, OYBBK. I understood the FL (flight level) bit but apart from that I didn't have a clue what the airlines were supposed to do about whether they should be flying through the stuff!

OYBBK: I think Phil Hammond said something similar - can't remember exactly, but I had the impression that flying through high concentrations would be a no no, but much greater flexibility for medium concentrations (depending on plane, route/height, and this unspecified additional equipment.

I saw on the news that the number of flights cancelled tomorrow is growing (doesn't look as if much/anything will be going to Scotland). I think it could be a confusing few days for travellers.

This is a goid page for official updates on the level of activity from the volcano - it's still chucking ash 9kms up.

I've just looked up the airline I'm travelling with on Thursday and they've cancelled all their flights from Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle for tomorrow morning

How long was the disruption last year? I have ten days til my flight

Flights from Edinburgh and prestwick cancelled due to wind atm although it seems to have dropped again

I knew kitten would have started a thread

we are due to fly from Manc on Sun 5th June so watching closely (we drove to France last year. I feared this was a mistake )

Leverkusen: here's wiki on last year's eruption. Airspace shut across Europe for 6 days.

But that doesn't really give a steer on what this one will be like - there's more ash, and it's being thrown higher, but it's in bigger particles so will fall to earth much more quickly. Also, flights may well continue in medium concentrations (thanks to data collected last year which means better safety assessments can be made) - a heck of a lot of variables.

DH flew to Turkey this evening for a work trip from Manchester, his main worry is getting back to watch the Champions League final on Saturday! He's due back Friday.

Am going to go to bed and visualise a big cork fitting into the top of the volcano.

Edithwestone- thanks for that link.
Actually thanks everyone for the interesting links. I will be so, so disappointed if I don't make it back for my holiday, I didn't get back for Christmas due to the snow. The weather is always against me But at least I am close enough to be able to get a ferry/train if it was needed.

oh bollocks. We're flying to the Caribbean on Friday. We've been saving for ages. I can't believe this. We're flying from Gatwick. What are the chances we'll fly?

Knew I could rely on you to be here OYBBK

My mum is due to fly to Gran Canaria from Prestwick early tomorrow - its not looking good is it?

I'm flying to Palma on Monday from Stansted and crossing everything that it's blown over by then - had a horrible start to the year and this holiday was supposed to make up for it.

also due to fly to europe for our only family hol this year, on monday

I can't believe the same thing is happening again after getting caught up in it last year

I am absolutely gutted, I feel like fucking crying, tbh

I have been going on foreign holidays for more than 25 fucking years and until last April, this was unheard of as far as I am concerned

sorry folks, just ranting a bit

sb... we can both cross everything for each other x

I am supposed to fly from Glasgow to Germany tomorrow... so far fly be has only cancelled flights from Aberdeen and Inverness but that could change I guess.

Flybe also says on their homepage they are prepared to fly in higher ash densities than some other airlines... not sure that makes me feel very safe somehow.

I know this is no ones fault but I want my summer holiday!