Authorities in Mexico have advised millions of residents to get ready for a potential evacuation due to heightened activity from the nation’s most dangerous active volcano, which has been pouring ash into adjacent communities since last week.
The country’s central Popocatépetl volcano’s ash has caused flight delays in Mexico City and forced officials to close schools in dozens of communities.
The volcano, which is roughly 45 miles southeast of Mexico City and situated between the states of Morelos, Puebla, and state of Mexico, is home to about 25 million people within a 60-mile radius.
On Sunday, the National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC) increased its volcanic threat level to “yellow phase 3,” which calls on some 3 million people who live in towns and villages adjacent to the volcano to stay alert and prepare for a possible evacuation.
The CNPC also warned of greater volcanic activity and the dispersion of ash into several nearby towns at high speed. It also recommended that residents nearby avoid outdoor activities.
“In the case of Mexico City, the risk is ash fall. We are prepared for that scenario and we know what to do. Let’s stay alert,” Mexico city’s mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said in a tweet on Sunday.
Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport (AICM) was temporarily closed on Saturday and some flights were delayed on Monday due to the presence of volcanic ash, according to airport authorities.
“Air travelers may continue to experience additional flight delays, cancellations, or temporary airport closures with little or no warning,” the US embassy in Mexico said, with the airport also issuing a similar alert.
State authorities have also suspended in-person classes in schools across 40 municipalities in Puebla, five municipalities in the state of Mexico and seven in Tlaxcala and said the classes will be held remotely.
The US embassy in Mexico issued a warning on Saturday saying the Popocatépetl volcano “has exhibited increased activity since May 15, registering hundreds of tremors and smoke and ash exhalations.”
The embassy also recommended people to not travel within a 7.5 mile radius of the volcano, citing warnings from local authorities.
The volcano had been dormant for decades until it erupted in 1994. Since then, its rumblings have become a part of daily life for residents.