Guatemala's Fuego Volcano, 50 kilometers (30 miles) southeast of Guatemala City, was belching "fiery clouds" over the course of the day, said David de León, a spokesman for the government's disaster response office.
Due to the frequent explosions at Turrialba Volcano, Costa Rica’s National Emergency Commission has expanded the evacuation zone surrounding the volcano from 2 kilometers to 5 kilometers.
Ten outbound flights were canceled Monday morning and another four inbound flights were rescheduled, according to Silvia Chaves, spokeswoman for Aeris, the company that operates Juan Santamaría International Airport. The airport, 67 km away from the volcano, was closed between 3:30 a.m. and 6:15 a.m. Monday morning.
The strongest explosion occurred Sunday night, when the 1,061-meter high volcano in the western province of León expelled gas, ashes and incandescent rocks which fell on dried vegetation, causing fires which alarmed nearby communities.
Scientists in Costa Rica expect Turrialba’s eruptions to gradually increase over the next few months until the volcano is erupting on a near weekly basis. They've also confirmed that lava has reached the surface of the volcano.
The ash from Turrialba Volcano has forced operators of the Juan Santamaría International Airport, outside Costa Rica's capital city of San José, to temporarily close, affecting at least seven inbound flights.
Fourteen inbound flights and four outbound flights were cancelled or delayed because of the eruption, an airport spokeswoman said. The airport was set to reopen provisionally at 4:00 a.m. Friday.
Aviation Administration Director Álvaro Vargas told daily La Nación Tuesday evening that Tobías Bolaños airport would be closed at least until 6:00 a.m. Wednesday, in order to better evaluate the possible effects of ash on the terminal.
Some scientists believe Turrialba has entered a phreatomagmatic phase, in which eruptions will likely become more frequent and violent, and will require the country to begin considering taking more protective measures.
