At least six US airlines cancelled 47 flights to and from Mexico City and Toluca airports after the Popocatepetl volcano spewed ash, steam and glowing rocks.

A 17,886ft volcano outside Mexico City exhaled dozens of towering plumes of ash and shot fragments of glowing rock down its slopes this morning, frightening the residents of surrounding villages with hours of low-pitched roaring not heard in a decade.

The Popocatepetl volcano which towers over Mexico City began rumbling again today, shooting a blast of ash about two miles (3km) above its crater.

A winged stuntman has completed a daring 17km unaided flight over the west coast of Ireland, beating local plane times.