A dramatic show is unfolding in the skies above! The Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia erupted on Sunday, November 23, 2025, sending a huge ash cloud soaring about 14 km high. This giant plume glided east, crossing the Red Sea, Arabian Peninsula, and heading straight for India. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) kept a close eye on this fiery spectacle. IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said, "The ash clouds are drifting towards China and will move away from Indian skies by 7.30 p.m." on November 25. This airborne ash caused quite a headache for flights in India on Monday, November 24, affecting operations especially in Gujarat, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana on Tuesday, November 25. The IMD tracked the ash cloud using satellite images, advice from Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAACs), and models predicting ash spread. These fiery clouds ride high-level winds from Ethiopia across Yemen, Oman, and over the Arabian Sea right to India. To keep everyone safe, the IMD’s Met Watch Offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, and Kolkata issued special ICAO-standard warnings—called SIGMETs—to airports. These alerts told pilots and airlines to avoid certain airspaces and adjust flight paths. This meant some flights might be rerouted, flying longer routes or holding for a bit before landing. The IMD’s statement said, "Continuous monitoring of MET and ash advisories is used for flight planning, including adjustments to routing and fuel calculations based on alternate paths." So, though the skies are smoky now, experts are steering everything clear. By 7.30 p.m. Tuesday, the ash will have moved beyond India, ready to drift toward China next. What a fiery traveler—this volcanic ash sure knows how to make an impact!