GENEVA, April 20 (Reuters) - A low pressure weather system moving into Iceland should help clear the volcanic ash cloud that has disrupted flights across Europe within days, an expert from the World Meteorological Organisation said on Tuesday.
'From a meteorological point of view, (for) the second part of the week towards the weekend, all indications are very, very positive,' the WMO's Herbert Puempel told journalists.
Rains should help wash away ash particles seen as dangerous to aircraft and the remaining cloud should disperse towards the Arctic, according to weather forecasts, Puempel said.
'The current situation has a lot of positive signs for the coming weekend,' he told a news briefing in Geneva.
While the ash cloud was set to drift towards Canada and the United States for the next day and a half, it should be low enough over the ocean not to disrupt trans-Atlantic flights, the WMO expert said.
'Overflights will not be influenced by this very low ash cloud,' he said.
Scientists across Europe are working to try to determine the exact concentration of volcanic dust in the air to help airlines determine when it is safe to fly. The World Health Organisation has also said tiny particles could be dangerous to asthmatics and others if they fall to the ground.
'The heat is on. Everybody knows how important it is to get aviation back on schedule,' Puempel said.
(Reporting by Jonathan Lynn and Laura MacInnis; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall) Keywords: EUROPE AIR/WEATHER (geneva.newsroom@reuters.com; Tel. +41 22 733 3831; Reuters Messaging: laura.macinnis.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
'From a meteorological point of view, (for) the second part of the week towards the weekend, all indications are very, very positive,' the WMO's Herbert Puempel told journalists.
Rains should help wash away ash particles seen as dangerous to aircraft and the remaining cloud should disperse towards the Arctic, according to weather forecasts, Puempel said.
'The current situation has a lot of positive signs for the coming weekend,' he told a news briefing in Geneva.
While the ash cloud was set to drift towards Canada and the United States for the next day and a half, it should be low enough over the ocean not to disrupt trans-Atlantic flights, the WMO expert said.
'Overflights will not be influenced by this very low ash cloud,' he said.
Scientists across Europe are working to try to determine the exact concentration of volcanic dust in the air to help airlines determine when it is safe to fly. The World Health Organisation has also said tiny particles could be dangerous to asthmatics and others if they fall to the ground.
'The heat is on. Everybody knows how important it is to get aviation back on schedule,' Puempel said.
(Reporting by Jonathan Lynn and Laura MacInnis; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall) Keywords: EUROPE AIR/WEATHER (geneva.newsroom@reuters.com; Tel. +41 22 733 3831; Reuters Messaging: laura.macinnis.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
© 2010 AFX News
