Anak Krakatau Volcano Ash Reaches Jakarta, Airport Temporarily Closed

Volcanic ash from the eruption of Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano has been confirmed to have spread to a wide area, including Jakarta. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) released data on the ash distribution as of 4:00 AM Western Indonesian Time on Sunday, September 6th. According to the agency, the volcanic ash is spreading in two main clusters. The first cluster is extending towards the east-southeast to south-southeast, affecting parts of Jakarta, Banten, and West Java, as well as surrounding waters. Ash in this cluster has reached an altitude of 20,000 feet (approximately 6,100 meters) from the surface. The second cluster is spreading southwest to northwest, covering parts of Banten, Lampung, Bengkulu, the southern Sunda Strait, and the Indian Ocean west of Bengkulu, Lampung, and Banten. This cluster includes ash reaching altitudes of up to 50,000 feet (approximately 15,240 meters) from the surface. Due to this volcanic ash dispersal, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport near Jakarta was temporarily closed until 9:30 AM Western Indonesian Time on Sunday. The ashfall is causing concerns about impacts on air travel. Anak Krakatau is the successor to the Krakatoa volcano, famous for its devastating eruption in 1883, and continues to exhibit active volcanic behavior. Source: CNN Indonesia