Volcanic Ash Forces Some Airlines to Suspend Flights from Mexico City 

The Popocatepetl volcano emits smoke and ash, seen from Mexico City at sunrise on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (AP)
The Popocatepetl volcano emits smoke and ash, seen from Mexico City at sunrise on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (AP)
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Volcanic Ash Forces Some Airlines to Suspend Flights from Mexico City 

The Popocatepetl volcano emits smoke and ash, seen from Mexico City at sunrise on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (AP)
The Popocatepetl volcano emits smoke and ash, seen from Mexico City at sunrise on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (AP)

Mexico City International Airport on Tuesday said airlines have canceled 22 domestic and international flights to carry out safety checks after planes encountered ash from the Popocatepetl volcano while flying toward the capital.

In a post on X, the airport said it remains open and in operation.

"Specialized teams and management remain on alert and are evaluating the ash conditions," the airport said. "At this time, the volcanic ash cloud is heading toward the Gulf of Mexico."

The airport advised travelers to stay informed through their airlines and official airport channels.

The government has issued a "yellow alert" for activity from the nearby volcano, whose name in the Aztec Nahuatl language means "Smoking Mountain."

Authorities earlier on Tuesday said a column of smoke from the volcano was blowing to the north-northwest and could bring ash over the capital.



Heavy Rain in Northern Japan Triggers Floods, Landslides

A road is flooded after a heavy rain in Sakata, Yamagata prefecture, northern Japan Friday, July 26, 2024. Heavy rain hit northern Japan Thursday, triggering floods and landslides, disrupting transportation systems and forcing hundreds of residents to take shelter at safer grounds. (Kyodo News via AP)
A road is flooded after a heavy rain in Sakata, Yamagata prefecture, northern Japan Friday, July 26, 2024. Heavy rain hit northern Japan Thursday, triggering floods and landslides, disrupting transportation systems and forcing hundreds of residents to take shelter at safer grounds. (Kyodo News via AP)
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Heavy Rain in Northern Japan Triggers Floods, Landslides

A road is flooded after a heavy rain in Sakata, Yamagata prefecture, northern Japan Friday, July 26, 2024. Heavy rain hit northern Japan Thursday, triggering floods and landslides, disrupting transportation systems and forcing hundreds of residents to take shelter at safer grounds. (Kyodo News via AP)
A road is flooded after a heavy rain in Sakata, Yamagata prefecture, northern Japan Friday, July 26, 2024. Heavy rain hit northern Japan Thursday, triggering floods and landslides, disrupting transportation systems and forcing hundreds of residents to take shelter at safer grounds. (Kyodo News via AP)

Heavy rain hit northern Japan Thursday, triggering floods and landslides, disrupting transportation systems and forcing hundreds of residents to take shelter at safer grounds.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued emergency warnings of heavy rain for several municipalities in the Yamagata and Akita prefecture, where warm and humid air was flowing.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged the affected area’s residents to “put safety first” and pay close attention to the latest information from the authorities.

According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, one person went missing in Yuzawa city — in the Akita prefecture — after being hit by a landslide at a road construction site.

Rescue workers in the city evacuated 11 people from the flooded area with the help of a boat.

In the neighboring Yamagata prefecture, more than 10 centimeters (4 inches) of rain fell in the hardest-hit Yuza and Sakata towns within an hour earlier Thursday.

Thousands of residents in the area were advised to take shelter at higher and safer grounds, but it was not immediately known how many people took that advice.

Yamagata Shinkansen bullet train services were partially suspended on Thursday, according to East Japan Railway Company.

The agency predicted up to 20 centimeters (8 inches) of more rainfall in the region through Friday evening, urging residents to remain cautious.