IPMA, the Portuguese institute for sea and atmosphere, has conceded that the archipelago of Madeira could well be affected by “volcanic ash and other chemical compounds like CO2 and sulphur dioxide” as a result of the eruption on La Palma, Canary Islands, of the Cumbre Vieja volcano. The next few days’ northerly winds may carry these consequences the roughly 500 kms to the Portuguese archipelago, but even if they do, the results “will not correspond to a critical situation”. El Cumbre Vieja began to erupt on Sunday afternoon. Lava flows have already destroyed around 100 homes and are expected to take even more. For an update on the situation click here).
