Aleutian island volcano again sends ash cloud nearly 5 miles high

A volcano in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands began erupting Friday morning, with a pilot reporting an ash cloud estimated as high as 24,000 feet, officials say.

Shishaldin Volcano, which erupted briefly last month, was sending up a cloud of volcanic ash that was moving southeast at 50 knots, the National Weather Service said. No communities were expected to see ashfall as of late Friday morning.

Shishaldin Volcano erupted for about three minutes the morning of Dec. 12, producing an ash cloud that reached up to 25,000 feet.

Shishaldin is on Unimak Island, 23 miles from False Pass and almost and 700 miles from Anchorage.