Tourists have been forced to evacuate the east coast of Sicily after Mount Etna smoke billowed into the sky following the volcano's eruption earlier today.
Etna, regarded as the most active volcano in Europe, had been seeing some activity in the last few hours with volcanic tremors felt overnight.
However, this has now escalated to continuous "explosions of growing intensity".
The mountain, located on the eastern coast of Sicily, saw pyroclastic flow, a deadly combination of burning ash and sulphur descend down the mountain.
Mount Etna has erruptedReuters
Smoke emerging from the top of Mount Etna
Reuters
Mount Etna in Sicily
Reuters
A red aviation warning was briefly issued by the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center Toulouse but has now turned to orange.
Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said the eruption began around 3.50am local time, following volcanic tremors which began around midnight local time.
The institute said eruption activity has continued since then with "increasing intensity" and were currently "almost continuous."
A spokesman said: "From a seismic point of view, the values of the tremor amplitude are currently high with a tendency to increase further."
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Volcanic steam rises at sunrise from Mount Etna, near Motta Camastra, Sicily, Italy
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Lava flows from Mount Etna, Italy
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Etna last erupted in May and during an eruption in February, hot lava was sent pouring down the mountainside as skiers were on its slopes.
The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Toulouse, which monitors aviation risks, said the ash plume had reached an altitude of around 6,400 metres.
Volcanologists in the area said the pyroclastic flow was most likely produced by a collapse of material from the northern flank of the South-East Crater.
However, the hot pyroclastic material does not appear to have crossed the edge of the Valle del Leone.
Volcanic steam rising from Mount Etna, as seen from Milo
Reuters
The explosive activity from the Southeast Crater has now become a lava fountain on the edge of the mountain.
According to 17th century records, the most deadly eruption covered 14 villages and towns in lava flows and earthquakes from the volcano.
Around 20,000 people were killed with thousands more made homeless.
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