Shiveluch volcano turns Russian winter wonderland grey in Kamchatka

The eruption of the Shiveluch volcano in Kamchatka has intensified. In the village of Ust-Kamchatsk, kindergartens and a school have been closed, sports and music classes have been cancelled.

According to Oleg Bondarenko, the head of the Ust-Kamchatsk District, the amount of volcanic ash that fell in the village on the night of November 8 is insignificant as most of the ash cloud is moving towards the sea. However, it was decided to suspend the work of two kindergartens and three schools. Transport services in the settlement operate as usual.

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“According to weather forecasters, precipitation is expected in the coming days, which should help stop the spread of ash by the wind. At the moment, there is no reason to panic,” the official said. 

Over the past 24 hours, the volcano has emitted clouds of ash several times. According to the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the most powerful emission reached a height of 8.5 kilometers above sea level, and the plume stretched 120 kilometers to the east of the volcano. In addition, an 11-kilometer pyroclastic flow consisting of hot gases, slag, and ash descended on the volcano.