Alaskan volcano eruption coats nearby city in ash

The eruption of the Redoubt volcano in Alaska has left the city of Anchorage, which is 100 miles away, coated in ash, but the long-term effect on the air quality will be minimal, according to experts.

Steve Morris, air quality program manager for Anchorage, stated that the ash particles being emitted by the volcano are too large to be absorbed into the lungs and cause long-term damage.

However, local residents have been advised to seal their windows and doors shut, drive as little as possible and cover open water supplies, reported the Seattle Times.

Flights were also cancelled in and out of Anchorage, as ash particles are deemed to pose a threat to the engines of aircraft.

Redoubt erupted twice in two hours last Saturday - the second blast emitting a 35,000-foot cloud of ash into the air.

The volcano, which is the highest peak in the Aleutian Range, last erupted in December 1989.