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New volcanic activity in Mount Etna today caused havoc for holidaymakers as airlines were forced to cancel half-term flights and delay several more.

Europe's most active volcano violently spewed clouds of ash and smoke high into the sky - covering cars and streets in villages over 20 miles away.

And the plume from Etna has also caused the cancellation of a number of flights from British and other European airports today. 

Some passengers with British Airways were left furious when their flight from London Heathrow to Athens was cancelled with less than an hour's notice.

Italy's biggest volcano today spewed clouds of ash and smoke high into the sky covering streets in cars miles away

The volcanic activity on Etna earlier today is the most violent to come from the volcano this year after it started a string of eruptions in February

Europe's most active volcano violently spewed clouds of ash and smoke high into the sky - covering cars and streets in villages over 20 miles away

Some passengers with British Airways were left furious when their flight from London Heathrow to Athens was cancelled with less than an hour's notice

One person tweeted British Airways saying: 'Athens flight postponed due to volcanic ash (fair enough) but response from Heathrow staff is totally inept. Lack of organisation.'

Etna erupted several times earlier this year, starting in February, but the ongoing activity was reported to be especially violent.

Situated between the African and Eurasian tectonic plates, it generates nearly constant eruptions of varying degrees.

Each year it produces more than tens of million tons of lava and over 7 million tons of carbon dioxide, water and sulfur dioxide.

The ash cloud from Mount Etna is expected to drift over Greece, causing disruption to flights departing and arriving in Athens

Pictured: A huge plume of smoke and ash rises into the sky from Mount Etna back in February with the moon being obscured by the cloud. There were no reports of injuries or fatalities due to the eruption but a nearby airport was forced to close temporarily

Its most severe recent eruption occurred in March of 2017, when nearly a dozen people were injured.

But eruptions have been recorded as far back as 1500 BC, with a devastating eruption in 1169 causing an earthquake that killed an estimated 15,000 people.

In 1992, lava streaming down its slope threatened Zafferana, a town of 7,000, in what's thought to be the most voluminous flank eruption in 300 years.

Soldiers used controlled explosions to divert the lava flow.