Ethiopia's Hayli Gubbi volcano erupts for 1st time on record, spews massive ash cloud

Hayli Gubbi, a long-dormant shield volcano in Ethiopia’s Afar region, has erupted explosively for the first time in recorded history, hurling a towering ash and sulfur-dioxide plume up to 15 km into the sky, Khaleej Times reported.

The eruption was detected early on November 23 in the barren Danakil Depression, one of the most remote and inhospitable terrains on the planet. Satellite imagery analysed by the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) showed the dense ash cloud drifting eastward across the Red Sea toward Yemen and Oman, triggering aviation alerts and close monitoring by regional authorities.

According to the Global Volcanism Program, Hayli Gubbi has no known eruptions in the Holocene era—the past 10,000 years—making the event both unexpected and scientifically significant. With no ground-based monitoring in the area, the eruption’s confirmation has come almost entirely through satellite readings.

Authorities in parts of the Arabian Peninsula issued air-quality advisories as sulfur-dioxide levels rose, while some flights were diverted or placed under precautionary routing as the ash plume moved across regional airspace.

Scientists say it may take time before the full scale of the eruption becomes clear. The Afar’s extreme heat, fractured terrain and limited access mean field teams cannot immediately reach the site. For now, satellite observations remain the primary tool for tracking the volcano’s behaviour and potential hazards.

Early assessments suggest the event is among the most notable volcanic episodes to strike the Horn of Africa in recent years.

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