Airports along the northwest coast of Ireland may be closed tomorrow as a result of the volcanic ash cloud drifting across the country from the north Atlantic.
In a statement tonight, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) said Sligo, Donegal and Ireland West (Knock) would be open until 7.00am. All other Irish airports will be open until at least 1.00pm.
The authority said there has been sustained low-level activity from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano over the past number of days and the prevailing weather conditions mean the ash cloud is drifting towards Ireland from the north Atlantic.
It said the cloud is likely to be over the west coast of Ireland early tomorrow morning, and will cover the rest of the country later in the day.
The IAA said it was organising observation flights for tomorrow to check on the level of ash concentrate in the atmosphere. It will then analyse this data, in conjunction with information from other sources, before deciding on potential airport closures.
A further update will be issued at 9.30am tomorrow.
Passengers planning to travel by air over the coming days are advised to check their airline websites in advance of going to the airport.
Earlier today the British department of transport warned that some UK airports may face disruption tomorrow due to the volcanic ash. It said the disruption could last into early next week.