Mount Etna, the active volcano on the east coast of Sicily, continued to erupt on 4 March, emitting a 12-km high plume of smoke and ash into the sky. The north-eastern city of Catania, along with a number of other towns and villages, was covered in a layer of ash and lapilli.

However Catania airport remained operational, with a south-easterly breeze sweeping the ash cloud over the city, reports Italian news agency ANSA. Europe's tallest active volcano, which has been erupting intermittently since 16 February, also spewed out a fresh lava flow today, ANSA reports.