Iceland Volcano Grounds Europe Flights, Shuts Heathrow

Air Space closed as Eyjafjallajökull blows again
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 15, 2010 1:20 AM CDT
Updated Apr 15, 2010 8:16 AM CDT
Iceland Volcano Grounds Europe Flights, Shuts Heathrow
Smoke rises from the crater of the volcano under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier in Iceland.   (AP Photo/CH2 TV, via APTN)

Ash clouds from Iceland's spewing volcano disrupted air traffic across Europe today as authorities closed air space over Britain, Ireland and the Nordic countries. Tens of thousands of passengers were stranded as flights were canceled and it was not clear when it would be safe enough to fly again, the AP reports. London's Heathrow Airport has been completely shut down for the rest of the day, sparking a wave of like cancellations throughout Europe.

In Iceland, hundreds of people have fled rising floodwaters since the volcano under the Eyjafjallajökull glacier (we don't know how to pronounce it, either) erupted yesterday, sending torrents of melting water down the mountainside. By last night, nearby rivers had risen 10 feet. It's the second time in less than a month the volcano has blown. Ironically, the eruption hasn't actually disrupted Iceland's own Keflavik Airport, though its effects have been felt on the southern part of the island.
(More Eyjafjallajokull volcano stories.)

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