As Indian cities battle with poor air quality during the winter season, the country found itself under an unusual shadow on Monday night, a giant cloud of volcanic ash that had travelled thousands of kilometres from Ethiopia.

A sleeping volcano, known as Hayli Gubbi volcano, erupted for the first time in nearly 12,000 years, and sent a thick plume high into the sky, with strong winds pushing it straight across the Arabian Sea towards India.

The cloud entered Rajasthan around 6.30 pm and moved quickly across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi-NCR and Punjab, riding winds of almost 120 km per hour.

For many cities, the evening turned unexpectedly dim as the ash passed overhead.

The first impact was felt in the skies, as IndiGo cancelled six flights, while Akasa Air halted services to Kuwait, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi for two days.

Several other international flights were also diverted. India’s aviation regulator issued an urgent ASHTAM alert, warning airlines to stay away from the affected heights.

Some global carriers began rerouting planes through Pakistani airspace, but Indian airlines could not follow that route, adding to delays and cancellations.

The IMD said the ash was moving at a high altitude of 10–15 km, so major pollution on the ground was unlikely.

However, experts warned that even a small dip in altitude could add to Delhi-NCR’s already dangerous air. Before the plume arrived, Delhi’s AQI was at 382, with Ghaziabad and Noida close to the ‘severe’ mark.

The eruption itself has now stopped, but the massive ash cloud continues to drift across the subcontinent, turning an ancient African volcano into India’s latest weather disruptor.