Africa volcano causing minimal disruption

The ash cloud emanating from a volcano that erupted in Eritrea caused some disruption to air traffic in East Africa on Tuesday.

The ash cloud emanating from a volcano that erupted in Eritrea caused some disruption to air traffic in East Africa on Tuesday.

An overnight Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt, Germany and an Emirates flight from Entebbe in Uganda were cancelled, said Hailaye Gebretsadik, general manager of Ethiopia's Bole International Airport.

Volcano Dubbi erupted on Sunday night following a series of minor earthquakes. The eruption was its first in some 150 years.

"So far the volcanic eruption has however not affected flights to and from Addis this morning," he said.

Only domestic flights to Mekele near Ethiopia's border with Eritrea had to be cancelled.

Gebretsadik expressed hope that the rain in the Ethiopian capital on Tuesday would help the ash cloud to dissipate.

According to Israel's weather service, the cloud was moving in the direction of Saudi Arabia and Jordan.