FVXX22 KWBC 071900 VOLCANIC ASH ADVISORY STATEMENT ISSUED 1900 UTC 07 APR 2000 BY THE WASHINGTON VAAC . SOUFRIERE HILLS 00-066 WEST INDIES 1643N 6211W . BACKGROUND: SOUFRIERE HILLS MONTSERRAT (1600-05) SUMMIT HEIGHT 3000 FT (915M) . SOURCES OF INFORMATION: GOES-8 VISIBLE INFRARED AND MULTISPECTRAL IMAGERY. 07/1200 UTC GUADELOUPE AND PRINSES JULIANA SOUNDING DATA. MONTSERRAT VOLCANO OBSERVATORY. . ERUPTION DETAILS: ASH AND GAS VENTING. . DETAILS OF ASH CLOUD: VISIBLE IMAGERY THROUGH 1815 UTC INDICATES A LOW LEVEL ASH PLUME TO THE WEST SOUTHWEST OF THE SUMMIT. THE ASH PLUME IS PARTIALLY OBSCURED BY CLOUDS NEAR THE SUMMIT AND DIRECTLY WEST OF THE ISLAND OF MONTSERRAT. THE MVO REPORTS THAT THE VOLCANO HAS BEEN IN CONTINUAL ASH AND GAS VENTING SINCE THIS MORNING. THE PLUME EXTENDS 148 KM (80 NMI) TO THE POINT 1633N6334W AND IS 28 KM (15 NMI) WIDE. THE ASH IS ESTIMATED AT OR BELOW FL060. . TRAJECTORY: ANY ASH UP TO FL060 WOULD MOVE TO THE WEST SOUTHWEST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS. OUTLOOK: SEE SIGMETS . THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY 08/0100 UTC. . REAL TIME SATELLITE IMAGERY ALONG WITH THIS AND OTHER VOLCANIC ASH ADVISORY STATEMENTS OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY A MAP DEPICTING ASH LOCATION ARE AVAILABLE AT INTERNET URL ADDRESS http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/washington.html (all lower case except /VAAC/) . PLEASE REFER TO SIGMETS FOR CURRENT WARNINGS. . CLARK . NNNN