LONDON, April 18, 2010 (AFP) - Britain has extended a ban on most flights in its airspace until at least 1800 GMT Sunday due to the volcanic ash cloud, air authorities announced.
"The volcanic ash cloud from Iceland shows continued and extensive cover of the UK," the National Air Traffic Services said in a statement Sunday.
"Based on the latest information from the Met Office, NATS advises that the restrictions currently in place across UK controlled airspace will remain in place until at least 19:00 (UK time) today."
NATS said it would continue to provide information from the Met Office national weather service and would provide a further update at around 9:00 am (0800 GMT).
The Met Office said it had detected evidence of ash dust over Britain and had reports of it reaching the ground.
"We continue to look for weather windows that will allow air space restrictions to be lifted," it said.
A research flight Friday found "three distinct layers of ash, from fine particles at low levels to large particles around 8,000 feet (2,400 metres)," it said.
"All these observations are consistent with our forecast plumes for where the ash cloud would spread and how it would mix through the atmosphere."
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