Ash cloud grounds flights... again

The eruption of the Grimsvotn volcano has already led to airlines cancelling a number of flights to and from Irish and Scottish airports.

Despite the cancellations, there were hopes that the latest crisis would not have the same devastating impact as last year's eruption, which saw British airspace shut down and thousands of flights axed.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said: "There is some early indication that the scale and power of the eruption might be subsiding a little bit.

"Perhaps it's a little bit too early to be absolutely sure about that, but clearly that's the most important thing.

"If the ash stops belching out of the volcano then, after a few days, the problem will have cleared, so that's one of the factors.

"The other is the wind speed and direction. At the moment the weather patterns are very volatile which is what is making it quite difficult, unlike last year, to predict where the ash will go."