It seems that the volcanic ash - even now creeping over the UK like a slightly low-rent piece of CGI in an under-scripted horror movie - could also affect satellite communications. John Yates, Chair of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Satellite Network, says: "The 1991 Mount Hudson volcano eruption - one of largest of the 20th century - affected satellite communications systems in Chile. The ash affected satellite communications in Los Antiguos, a town 120km from the volcano, in the same manner as a snow storm can disrupt satellite communications.
"Volcanic ash can also reduce the performance of satellite dishes. The degree to which ash affects the dishes depends on climatic conditions; wet conditions prior to ash falling will cause the ash to stick to satellite dishes - heavy rainfall afterwards will wash it off.
"The ash cloud is currently at high altitude, but if it was to come towards us and we experience rainfall beforehand, this could cause problems."
So that will be a lot of Sky owners and engineers anxiously watching the skies. A warning about volcanic dust (which personally I do have some experience of - I was in holiday in Barbados in 1979 when a volcano - Soufrière - went off on the island of St Vincent): if it gets on your car, don't try to polish it off - you'll destroy the car's finish with myriad scratches. Just blow it off with compressed air if you can, or let the rain do its work.
Two bonuses, to set against the cancelled air flights and heightened risk of asthma: you get great sunsets; and volcanic dust makes for fantastic farmland.
