Ammon News - Mount Etna on the Italian island of Sicily witnessed renewed volcanic activity yesterday, marked by the emission of incandescent material and limited amounts of ash from the volcano’s north-eastern crater.

In a statement, Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said that winds pushed the eruption cloud towards the north-east, with light ashfall recorded in the coastal town of Taormina and the Piano Provenzana area, which includes ski slopes.

The institute reported intermittent explosions at the Bocca Nuova crater, during which incandescent material was ejected to heights of several tens of metres above the crater rim.

The regional civil protection agency temporarily raised the alert level as a precaution against the possible occurrence of lava fountains.

Mount Etna is Europe’s most active volcano, standing at around 3,400 metres high. It experiences frequent eruptions throughout the year and is subject to continuous monitoring, with its height and summit shape changing as a result of eruptions.