Mount Etna in nearby Sicily has erupted again in the last hours, spewing lava and smoke to force the closure of airports in the area, Italian media report.

The Catania and Comiso airports were both totally closed for a time, with the Catania airport re-opened partially in the morning. The airport reponed in full later in the day, but delays are being registered.

Earlier this month, eruptions from a volcano on the Sicilian island of Stromboli sent about 30 tourists jumping into the sea for safety.

The volcanic system appears to be "charged" with energy, as evidenced by the high level of tremors in the internal magma ducts recorded by the Catania Etnean Observatory.

A new crisis unit meeting is scheduled for late morning. Until then, at the Catania airport, only six landings per hour are scheduled while all departures have been confirmed.

Photo tgcom24.mediaset,it