By PAULA KIRBY
Updated: Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:19:44 UTC

Vulcanologists are predicting that Mount Etna, Europe's biggest and most active volcano, is about to erupt again and that it will be at its most spectacular in the course of this afternoon (European time).

If anyone's interested, there are multiple webcams at http://www.meteoweb.eu/sicilia/. I've noticed they don't seem to update automatically though - you'll need to keep refreshing the page.

It's clear from the images that have come through so far that something's going on up there right now, though there's no lava being emitted as yet that I can see.

As it happens, I was in Sicily last week and drove up Mount Etna - it was an amazingly unearthly sight, driving through mile after mile of lava. Etna has been very active of late, and this will be something like its 6th eruption this year.

Assuming the eruption happens as predicted - enjoy!

TAGGED: EARTH SCIENCES, GENERAL INTEREST, SCIENCE