The White Island volcano in New Zealand has erupted sending a huge plume of ash into the sky and grounding a number of flights.

National carrier Air New Zealand said 10 flights were cancelled on Thursday as volcanic ash drifted across flight paths at some domestic airports.

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Government scientists warned that Whakaari, as it’s known to the country’s Indigenous Maori, could continue for “weeks to months” to come.

The volcanic island lies about 50km off New Zealand’s North Island and 200km from Auckland, the country’s largest city. Once a popular tourist destination, it has been off limits since 2019, when a massive eruption of ash and steam killed 22 people who were visiting the island as part of a cruise.

Satellite images showed “minor eruptive activity” started earlier in the month, research institute GNS Science said in a monitoring bulletin.

The GNS said it believed the latest activity was part of the “typical eruptive cycles” documented on Whakaari.

“This activity could continue for some time, weeks to months,” they said.

Scientists said some people on New Zealand’s main islands might smell volcanic gas or suffer mild irritation to their eyes or throats, although the effect was likely to be minor.

New Zealand raised its volcanic alert level earlier this month to three, out of a maximum of five levels.