Mount Etna eruption latest: Europe's most active volcano sends jets of lava shooting into the air

Mount Etna shot streams of lava into the sky on Thursday as it began erupting overnight.

The Sicilian volcano, which is Europe’s most active, has seen an increase in seismic activity over the last week, culminating in the eruption.

The eruptions began at 3am local time and also produced large amounts of smoke, but did not affect nearby Catania airport.

Boris Behncke, from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, posted a series of stunning photos of lava taken from nearby towns.

Mount Etna roared back into spectacular volcanic action from Thursday morning (AP)

Scenes of #Etna's new, sub-terminal eruption, during the night of 30-31 May 2019, seen from Santa Venerina, Fiumefreddo and (last photo) Tremestieri Etneo. "Sub-terminal" means the eruption is occurring close to the summit craters, generally at around 2900-3000 m elevation pic.twitter.com/6uBXJTShkV

— Boris Behncke (@etnaboris)

May 31, 2019

Mount Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe at two-and-a-half times the next largest, Mount Vesuvius.

Plumes of ash emerged from the Sicilian volcano (AP)

It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013 and attracts thousands of visitors a year.