Mount Etna eruption RECAP: Sicily volcano alert as UK flights to Catania Airport hit

An American tourist was killed by a lightning strike on Mount Etna while hiking in an area that was closed to visitors due to recent volcanic activity, Italian firefighters said Monday.

The 29-year-man from Kansas was rescued by helicopter after being struck on Sunday evening in an exposed area above the tree line. He was later declared dead by medical personnel.

Firefighters and other emergency services reached the man via helicopter at around 8pm local time and found him in a state of cardiac arrest.

He was then flown to Cannizzaro Hospital in Catania, but doctors were unable to save him and he was pronunced dead at 9.30pm.

Volcanic lightning is an electrical discharge that happens inside a volcanic ash cloud during an eruption. People also call it a "dirty thunderstorm". It happens when pieces of rock, ash, and gas crash into each other and build up static electricity.

Here is a list of the delayed flights due to originally land in Catania Airport in the next hour:

Rome Fiumicino ITA Airways: Delayed from 2.40pm to 3.59pm

Verona - Wizz Air Malta: Delayed from 3pm to 4.16pm

Pisa - Ryanair: Delayed from 3.10pm to 4.09pm

Genoa - Ryanair: Delayed from 3.15pm to 4.09pm

Pisa - Ryanair: Delayed from 3.15pm to 4.09pm

Amsterdam - KLM: Delayed from 3.30pm to 3.57pm

Rome Fiumicino ITA Airways: Delayed from 3.30pm to 4.43pm

About 1.5 million people visit Etna every year.

An aviation alert was only downgraded on Saturday from the highest warning level of red to orange.

A Transavia flight bound for Catania Airport this evening from Paris Orly is due to divert 146 miles away to Palermo Airport.

More than a third of the 1,974 flights scheduled at Catania from last Thursday through to Wednesday were cancelled, while another 600 were diverted.

The airport typically handles at least 40,000 passengers a day.

Catania Airport has been hit by a wave of disruption due to Mount Etna's volcanic activity.

All flights were suspended on Wednesday and hundreds on Thursday.

SAC, the Catania Airport management company, said the decision to cancel flights on Wednesday and Thursday was made "due to Mount Etna's eruptive activity and the associated release of volcanic ash into the atmosphere, the closure of the areas corresponding to the southwest air cloud (sector C1) and the closure of sector B3 have been extended."

Several arriving flights at Catania Aiport are delayed this afternoon.

This long list includes two London arrivals:

An easyJet flight from London Luton is due to arrive at 2.15pm, two hours later than scheduled.

An easyJet flight from London Gatwick is expected to arrive at 2.23pm, around 40 minutes behind schedule.

Incoming flights will now be limited until midday tomorrow.

In a fresh update Catania Airport said: "Flight operations are partially limited to 10 aircraft per hour until 12:00 PM tomorrow, Tuesday, August 18. No restrictions on departures."

Tragedy struck last night after a 30-year-old US tourist was hit by a lightening strike on Mount Etna.

The tourist was in a restricted area, when he was caught in a violent thunderstorm.

Emergency services raced to the scene, shortly before 8pm, prompting the deployment of the Drago 142 helicopter from the Fire Brigade.

He was rushed to Cannizzaro Hospital in a serious condition but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Mount Etna has four main summit crater areas the Northeast Crater, Voragine, Bocca Nuova and Southeast Crater.

Each of the summit craters is around 200 metres in diameter, according to Italy's Civil Protection Department.

Hundreds of smaller cones have also formed across the slopes of the volcano over thousands of years during eruptions from vents on its flanks.

The Voragine crater is currently experiencing strong explosive activity as Etna's latest eruptive phase continues.

Since August 13, an ordinance has required people to stay 200 meters away from the lava flow.

Passengers are continuing to face disruption at Catania Airport this morning amid Mount Etna's latest eruptive activity.

Nine flight departures listed on the airport's website are delayed as of 10am this morning, with one flight cancelled.

A yellow alert level for Etna is currently in place by the Civil Protection Department.

Alert levels are represented by four colours - green, yellow, orange and red.

Live video footage shows Etna spewing piles of ash into the sky over Sicily.

A Transavia France flight from Catania to Paris Orly has been cancelled.

The flight was scheduled to take off at 10.45am this morning.

Mount Etna has been erupting on and off since August 7, causing hundreds of flight cancellations at Catania Airport in Sicily.

It is Europe's highest and most active volcano.

In a statement, Catania Airport says airspace sectors B1 and B2 has been ordered due to Etna's eruptive activity and the simultaneous emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere.

Passengers are advised to check the status of their flight with their airlines before heading to the airport.

Good morning. My name is Lauran O'Toole and welcome to our live coverage.

The recent Mount Etna eruptions have sparked chaos at Catania Airport this morning.

Incoming flights have been limited to just five planes per hour until 2pm local time today (August 17).

We will provide you with the latest as we get it.