Ethiopia Volcano Eruption: Did the Ash Cloud Affect Delhi’s Air Quality?

When the Hayli Gubbi volcano in Ethiopia erupted and sent an ash cloud 14 km into the atmosphere, concerns quickly rose in and around Delhi NCR about whether the plume would worsen the already severe air pollution. The ash cloud did pass over parts of India including Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Punjab and Haryana but IMD has confirmed that it had no significant impact on ground-level air quality.

As of 10:30 pm on  November 25, 2025 (Tuesday), IMD reported that the entire ash plume has exited Indian airspace. Monitoring satellites show no remaining concentration over the region.

Timeline: From the Ethiopia Eruption to Clearance Update

1. The episode began on Sunday, when Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano erupted at 2:00 pm IST (8:30 am UTC) on November 23, 2025(Sunday) sending an ash plume soaring up to 14 km.
2. As strong upper-level winds carried it eastward, the plume reached Delhi’s upper atmosphere around 11 pm on November 24, 2025(Monday), prompting immediate monitoring by IMD. The plume drifted over Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Punjab, and Haryana through Tuesday. However, it stayed at high altitudes, with no impact on ground-level air quality.
3. Satellite imagery showed the cloud gradually moving out, and by 10:30 pm on November 25, 2025 (Tuesday), IMD confirmed that the Ethiopia Volcano Eruption ash had fully cleared Delhi and the rest of Indian airspace.

Delhi’s Air Quality Stayed the Same Throughout- As told by Data

Above graph from the data obtained via AQI.in shows that Delhi’s air quality was unaffected by the Ethiopia Volcano Eruption, and all fluctuations were purely due to local emissions and winter meteorology, exactly as IMD stated.

1. On 23 November, hours before the Hayli Gubbi eruption’s ash began travelling toward India, Delhi was already oscillating between Very Poor and Severe the same range seen on 24, 25, and 26 November.
2. The characteristic cycle of night-time build up, early-morning peak, and afternoon dip continued unchanged across all four days.
3. There was no new spike, no sudden jump in PM2.5, and no deviation from the usual inversion-driven curve. 

Why Delhi’s AQI did NOT spike due to the volcanic ash

• Ash remained at very high altitudes. Satellite data tracked the plume in the upper troposphere, far above the breathing zone.
• No measurable PM2.5/PM10 rise from volcanic sources. Pollution levels in Delhi during the period followed typical patterns, local emissions, low winds, and inversion, not by ash settling.
• IMD clarified there was no threat to public health at ground level. Visibility, breathing comfort, and particulate levels at the surface stayed within the usual seasonal variability.
• Transported ash tends to disperse before reaching the surface. Thus, by the time the plume crossed India, most coarse particles had already fallen out over the Arabian region.
  

Other significant updates

• DGCA issued advisories for airlines to avoid ash-affected flight levels.
• Air India and Akasa cancelled several flights as a precaution.
• Aircraft that crossed potential ash zones underwent safety checks.

Thus, the Ethiopia ash plume passed above India without altering Delhi’s AQI, ending the incident with no ground-level impact.