Last evening, my family and I celebrated our monthly wedding anniversay with a dinner at the Komune Beach Club , located about three kilometers north of our home .
We were disappointed to find the usually clear sky obscured by a thick gray haze.
I mentioned that farmers often burn off excess vegetation this time of year, and I initially assumed this was the cause.
However, Today we learned that the haze originated from a volcanic eruption on Floews Island in [Country/Region], over 700 kilometers away!
The trade winds unfortunately carried the ash across the ocean, impacting air quality and visibility.
This not only put a damper on our evening but also disrupted travel plans for many Australian tourists who were hoping to enjoy their vacations here.
Thankfully, the skies are clear today, and authorities are working to ensure that visitors can continue to experience the beauty of this paradise.
Our prayers go out to the Indonesians who lost loved ones as a result of this deadly eruption.
By Dannielle Maguire, By Shari Hams,By Caitlin Rawling
7h ago7 hours ago
New customer rights will allow people to seek refunds when flights are delayed or cancelled. (AAP)
Earlier this month there were a series of volcanic eruptions on an Indonesian island 500 kilometres from Bali, killing nine people and prompting the evacuation of thousands.
The eruptions started last Sunday, but ongoing volcanic activity meant the spread of dangerous ash cloud.
By Tuesday night, flights in and out of Bali's Denpasar Airport were being cancelled.
Which airlines have cancelled flights?
All three of Australia's international airlines:Jetstar
Qantas
Virgin Australia
At least 10 flights were cancelled.
When will flights be operating again?Jetstar: Not until at least 12pm AEDT tomorrow.
Qantas: A Qantas flight was due to depart Sydney International Airport about 4:30pm AEDT today. However, as of 2pm AEDT, it's been marked as delayed on the Qantas website.
Virgin Australia: Not until at least tomorrow.
Can I get compensation for delayed or cancelled flights?
Photo shows Passengers mill about an airport terminal, with one in the foreground siutting on the floor beside a pink suitcase.
Flight cancellations and delays are unavoidable — but what can you do when you're left stranded at the airport?
Where is the volcano?
The eruptions came from a volcano called Laki-Laki.
Laki Laki Volcano, Flores Island, Indonesia. November 12 2024
It's one of two volcanoes on Mount Lewotobi, which is on the island of Flores.
The volcano is about 500 kilometres east of Bali. Liki-Laki derives its name from the Indonesian word for "man".
It is twinned with a calmer volcano named after the Indonesian word for "woman" called Perempuan.
Together, the pair of volcanoes are known as the "husband and wife".
What's happening with the volcano?
There's been more than a week of volcanic activity from Laki-Laki.
At least nine people have been killed so far, with 63 people injured, according to Indonesia's National Disaster Management Authority's last update.
More than 11,000 people have been evacuated.
The first eruptions were on Sunday, November 3.
A particularly strong eruption sent hot ash about 2 kilometres into the air, US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Earth Observatory said.
Several small eruptions followed on November 5 and November 6.
Here's a look at NASA's imagery of Mount Lewotobi in mid-October compared to November 5:
Before: A NASA satellite image of Mount Lewotobi on October 12. . . After: Ash cloud moving west on November 5. . .
Instructions: Use left and right arrow keys to control image transitionBefore and after images
SLIDE
But there was more to come.
Eruptions on Friday that sent ash as high as 10 kilometres into the air.
There were more eruptions on Saturday and Sunday, which continued past the weekend.
Indonesia's Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation last reported an eruption on Tuesday night.
All the disruptive volcanic activity is coming from Laki-Laki, which NASA says has been frequently active during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Perempuan — the other volcano — has been described as calmer, and erupted most recently in 1921 and 1935.
Passengers 'disappointed' but understanding
Lucy Schapel and her partner said they were "disappointed" when their flights to the holiday destination were cancelled after they arrived at Adelaide Airport on Tuesday night.
"It was basically time to board, it was announced here over the PA that it was unsafe to fly due to volcanic activity," she said.
"Disappointed obviously but we are also understanding that safety should be prioritised."
Lucy Schapel and her partner had to reschedule their flight to Bali for Saturday. (Supplied)
The 26-year-old has had her flights rescheduled to Saturday and the Adelaide couple remain hopeful it will go ahead.
"You get your hopes up and get excited to go on holidays and then you have to go back into the office," she said.
ABC with AAP
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