ALL UK Flights Grounded; Icelandic Volcano Cloud

[Timbuk2]

Airline passengers are facing massive disruption across the UK after an ash cloud from a volcanic eruption in Iceland grounded planes.



The Air Traffic Control Service (Nats) said no flights would be allowed in or out of UK airspace from midday to 1800BST amid fears of engine damage.

Airports operator BAA confirmed all flights at Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick would be suspended from midday.

And in Scotland, authorities have already shut all their airports.

The restrictions, in accordance with international civil aviation policy, were imposed after the Met Office warned ash could clog engines.

Passengers were advised to contact their carriers prior to travel.

Experts have warned that the tiny particles of rock, glass and sand contained in the ash cloud would be sufficient to jam aircraft engines.

Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports were shut as Nats said it was restricting flights "in accordance with international civil aviation policy".

One passenger at Glasgow told the BBC: "I'm meant to be going to Lanzarote. We've travelled from Oban, leaving at 3am. Now we've decided we might as well just go home and do a bit of gardening."

The ash cloud disrupted all flights to and from Manchester with a similar picture at Newcastle airport and Liverpool's John Lennon airport.

Flights were affected at London's Gatwick, Heathrow and City airports, and British Airways said it had cancelled all domestic flights for the whole of Thursday.

The company said it would refund its passengers or offer the option of rebooking.

More from auntie

Ouch. Not good.

All flights being grounded nationally for a natural disaster is unprecedented methinks.

[Lor]

When i heard this in the morning, i thought it was to do with BA ... how gutted was i!

Note to people - i only heard 'Airline passengers are facing massive disruption across the UK' on TV as i was eating my cereal.

[CitizenCain]

All flights being grounded nationally for a natural disaster is unprecedented methinks.

What makes you think it's a natural disaster? Seems to me like payback from Iceland for not bailing them out of their recent bankruptcy.

[Timbuk2]

Norway, Sweden, Finland & Denmark also severely affected.

Eurostar now overloaded.

[GGT]

Was there a huge Iceland volcano eruption in the 1800s that clouded over Europe so much that crops were affected, and led to famine? Someone told me that but I haven't looked it up....

[Timbuk2]

Not sure Gee - sounds familiar.

Couple more sweet pics ...

[Loki]

All fear Njord.

[GGT]

All fear Njord.

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/arti...on-Iceland/529

Iceland is a country of volcanoes and one of the greatest eruptions has been via the Laki volcano in 1783.

Iceland is an island of volcanoes spreading right across its landscape and even extending beneath the sea. Many of the volcanoes of Iceland have erupted and been active during its history. In Iceland’s most recent history the massive eruption of the Laki volcano in 1783 caused one of the greatest disasters in living history.

The Laki volcano eruption occurred in the June of 1783 in Iceland killing many thousands and spreading a massive haze that covered most of Europe and parts of North America. This cloud was even reported to have extended into Asia and North Africa.

In its wake, the Laki Volcano eruption, although beginning in Iceland created widespread famine across Europe when the weather pattern changed so dramatically that it affected vital crops in the summer months and saw the loss of livestock.

The meteorological impact of the Laki Volcano eruption in Iceland brought unprecedented weather patterns with violent thunderstorms and hailstorms, killing cattle in the fields and destroying crops.

In reference to the Laki volcano eruption in Iceland, Benjamin Franklin during a lecture in 1784 made the following comments ‘….when the effect of the sun’s rays to heat the earth in these northern regions should have been greater, there existed a constant fog over all Europe, and a great part of North America…’

The Laki volcano eruption in Iceland therefore, effectively eradicated the summer of that year. The sun was obscured by the vast cloud caused by the Laki eruption and, what should have been a warm summer in the northern hemisphere, took on winter proportions, not just in Iceland, but all over Europe. It was reported that the sun either remained as a pale ghost or took on a strange, blood red colour in the volcanic haze.

The repercussions of the Laki Volcano eruption in Iceland resonated throughout Europe for the next few years. The summer of 1783, having been turned to winter was followed by an extreme, harsh winter in 1784, even in North America where it was reported as one of the coldest on record.

The Laki Volcano eruption in Iceland can also be said to have contributed significantly to the French Revolution. After several years of extreme weather in Europe caused by the Laki eruption, the ensuing destruction of crops and livestock brought famine and poverty that built up in France, triggering the Revolution which began in 1789.

In spite of this major historical event in Iceland that changed the path of history, the Laki Volcano eruption in 1783 was not comparable to previous reported eruptions in Iceland, such as the Edlgja eruption of 934 AD which was even greater.

There were others throughout Iceland’s 500 years of recorded history and Iceland itself was born out of volcanic activity, Laki being only one of many volcanoes on the Island.

[Timbuk2]

Well that sucked.

I wonder how we'd cope nowadays?

Not very well I suspect.

[GGT]

Quick, everyone get out a fan and point it up and away....

Seriously though, the news showed the ash cloud movement on a map and it's huge. Volcanologists are saying the eruptions could continue for days or weeks, and it all depends on the wind direction who gets the ash cloud. They also showed the plane traffic, totally dead over UK and north.

[Knux897]

Godamnit, they've perfected the volcano machine >_<

[CitizenCain]

Godamnit, they've perfected the volcano machine >_<

Naw, earthquakes in a volcanically active area cause eruptions all the time. This is just more proof that the US/Zionist earthquake machine is in use.

[LittleFuzzy]

Naw, earthquakes in a volcanically active area cause eruptions all the time.

I know you're just continuing the joke, but still. . . grr.

[Supermarioman]

This is some crazy stuff.
My dad does a lot of business with Europe, so I'm glad he's not stuck over there right now.

[RandBlade]

Some really remarkable pictures out there.

All UK flights are still grounded until tomorrow. A minimum of 24 hours will pass with all non-emergency UK flights grounded, don't think that's happened since WWII (not sure about post-9/11).

I had a meeting in Milton Keynes today, a gathering of colleagues from all over the UK. I'd not heard about this as we were listening to the iPod on the way down, but the person hosing the meeting joked after giving fire emergency instructions that they'd planned for 100 emergency conditions but never considered volcanic ash. Scottish colleagues had been unable to come down to MK as their flights were all cancelled obviously.

Apparently volcanic ash has started falling on Scotland.

[Dreadnaught]

Doesn't Milton Keynes already look like a post-Vesuvius wasteland anyway?

But seriously, besides planes being afraid to get carbon flecks in their engines, what other impact are our Social Democratic friends to the East seeing on this?

[Nessus]

Well it's cloudy today! The dept of atmospheric sciences says the ash cloud will probably linger over us a day or two, and more's on the way if the damn thing keeps spouting more. The only other effect so far is that rain might be slightly more acidic than usual but not much; the ash hasn't descended into the lower atmosphere yet so we don't have to breathe it.

[Timbuk2]

COUNTRIES AFFECTED
Airspace closed:

• UK
• Republic of Ireland
• Norway
• Denmark
• Belgium
• Netherlands
• Finland
• Lithuania

Partial closures:

• Sweden (northern airspace opened Friday)
• France (northern airspace)
• Germany (northern airspace)
• Poland (northern airspace)
• Austria (closures from Friday pm)

But seriously, besides planes being afraid to get carbon flecks in their engines, what other impact are our Social Democratic friends to the East seeing on this?

BBC: The ash has already reached ground level in Shetland and is expected to move south overnight. ...

Residents in Shetland and Aberdeen have already reported smelling the effects of the ash, describing it as "sulphurous".

Dust collected in Lerwick, Shetland, is being analysed by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

The Met Office said ash that does reach ground level will be barely visible and the public should not be concerned

"Those with existing respiratory conditions such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema and asthma may notice these effects more than others and should ensure they have any inhalers or other medications with them.

"Any such health effects are likely to be short term."


~

I work near Heathrow and on a major flightpath (we used to have concorde flying by at the same time every day), and it's eerie not hearing the occasional aircraft overhead. Weird having no vapour trails in the sky too.

[Tempus Vernum]

My parents are concerned as they're supposed to be heading for Spain on Wednesday for a month long vacation and this thing could be erupting for days. It could scrap the whole thing .

[Lor]

My parents are concerned as they're supposed to be heading for Spain on Wednesday for a month long vacation and this thing could be erupting for days. It could scrap the whole thing .

Aww heck, hope they can make it dude. My uncle is currently in New York on business, don't think he'll be coming home any time soon.

Doesn't Milton Keynes already look like a post-Vesuvius wasteland anyway?

[GGT]

They'd better start with Plan B. CNN reports the last time this volcano erupted, over 100 yrs ago, it spewed ash for two years.

[Lor]

They'd better start with Plan B. CNN reports the last time this volcano erupted, over 100 yrs ago, it spewed ash for two years.

Boats? Ask Texas if we can borrow a few paddles.

[GGT]

Boats, ferries, trains, rental cars....what else is there? It will take longer between points, but isn't that better than sitting and waiting?

[CitizenCain]

So... when is the EU going to file sanctions against Iceland for all the damage this pollution is causing?

[Lor]

Boats, ferries, trains, rental cars....what else is there? It will take longer between points, but isn't that better than sitting and waiting?

Transatlantic tunnel? Come on, anything is possible with a little creativity, balls and huge digging equipment!

[Timbuk2]

So... when is the EU going to file sanctions against Iceland for all the damage this pollution is causing?

What a poxy, half-formed, idiotic wreck of a piece of half-submerged volcanic rock of a country. Whoever thought of settling there first should have bought stronger glasses and sailed past without so much as a second glance.

I'm all for building a giant plastic dome to place over the li'l rock to keep all their volcanic crap inside and away from the rest of us.

[Dreadnaught]

I also demand Iceland account for its carbon output.

This kind of stuff must have been unnerving to people when it happened years ago.

[RandBlade]

Perhaps but people weren't as knowledgeable about what was happening, nor flying in jet planes, years ago. I doubt any of us would even know this had happened years ago.

[Dreadnaught]

Even if there's a giant expanse of gray sky and everything smelled of sulfur?

[littlelolligagged]

Even if there's a giant expanse of gray sky and everything smelled of sulfur?

That would be when the church makes lots of money preaching from Revelations.