volcanic ash from Iceland

[Judith T.]

For those of you in the UK, how are your sunsets? Have you been bothered by the ash? I hope you weren't planning on going anywhere soon by air. Judy in AZ

[Beth A.]

My husband and I are headed for Paris this fall, and I'm hoping for another eruption that keeps us "trapped" over there! LOL

BethMI

[Hannelore N.]

I live more or less bang in the middle of England. The weather has been dull here today, but not from an ash cloud. As far as I know this problem hasn't quite reached this area yet. I was talking to our school nurse today, and she is very diligently tracking what's going on, because of asthmatic children that we have in school. My car is parked outside the house and it's a very light colour. I'll see in the morning when I go to work if anything has come down overnight and settled on it.

Lorchen

[Judith T.]

Lorchen, you could collect it in a vial and have a great discussion at school. Judy in AZ

[Deborah W.]

My husband and I were in Spokane, Washington when Mt St. Helens errupted in 1980. The ash was bizarre. We came out of a restaurant after lunch and it was pitch black and the ash was everywhere--very surreal as we didn't know what had happened. We still have a gallon bucket of the ash that my husband cleaned out of the wheels of his truck.

[Deborah W.]

There was a lady at my girl's dance studio yesterday who was all excited. She and her family were supposed to be leaving today, flying out of Pittsburgh to Paris and then on to somewhere in Germany. She has a sister there, and they had been unable to see one another for quite some time. I woke up and read about the ash cloud and felt so bad for her and her family. I hope it clears out soon so they can get together.

[Deborah W.]

Nothing noticable down here on the south coast.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8621407.stm

[Hannelore N.]

Reporting from North of Nottingham in the UK: Still no planes flying around here. The day has been dry and sunny, and the sky was clear. That ash cloud must be very high indeed. The school nurse had no increase in distressed asthmatic kids today.

For me personally, the best thing that has come out of this: One of the UK tv channels showed a special documentary last night about vulcanos - fascinating programme.

Lorchen

[Beth A.]

I keep wondering what is going to happen when that ash finally falls down to earth.

From what I understand, it is like powdered glass (lava melting glacier ice = glass). It doesn't sound very health to breathe!

And it can't stay up there forever!

BethMI

[Judith T.]

Looking at the map, it is spreading southeast across lower Sweden, all of Denmark, northern Germany. Travel has been disrupted all over. Trains and car rentals going through the roof. Best to stay home and quilt. Judy in AZ

[Judith T.]

You're not wrong there Judy!!!! I'll do just that!!

Another beautifully clear day has dawned. The wind down here is still from the North North West and cold.

I'm not quite sure what we are supposed to expect in a dust cloud. Something thick like a fog or invisible and dispersed. More the latter I think.

I do know that a 2 day strike by a few cabin crew caused major panic and disruption. The total and complete cancellation of all air traffic over most of Europe and everyone seems calm! I guess when it's a natural event there's not a lot you can do about it.

[Judith T.]

From what I understand that dust is supposed to dissapate in the upper levels of the atmosphere - true what goes up must come down but it should come down spread out enough that me may not notice it at all. However up in those upper levels the dust is still thick enough to clog the jet engines, so until that upper level plume dissapates they can't fly. My cousin's husband is due to return from deployment in Germany next week and she is frantic that he may not make it home - here is to hoping it dissipates before then :-)

[Judith T.]

The wind switched around for us today and it was warmer but a little hazy. The map here http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporat.../timeline.html shows actual dust at Met Office sites and we're about 20 miles south of the Boscombe Down one (the southest one on Saturday).

The Met Office's other page is more up to date than the BBC one. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporat...0/volcano.html

[Hannelore N.]

Saturday has been sunny and warm here, bang in the middle of England. Nothing unusual to report, except that the local airport (East Midlands, just outside of Nottingham) is still closed.

Lorchen

[Hannelore N.]

We still have closed airways until at least 1900 today.

We have woken to another beautifully clear day but there is a polution haze on the horizon that is not usually there. The cars are too wet with dew to see any dust though.

It's still strange not having any vapour trails, only small light aircraft have been going over and no rotary wings at all either. Daughter is pleased, she is military air tech and has extra days off for the weekend!!

OH just laughed and said his Dad always blamed aircraft for making it cloudy. We've had the best weather in months this past week!!