FVXX20 KWBC 202100 . VOLCANIC ASH ADVISORY STATEMENT ISSUED 2100 UTC 17 JAN 1999 BY THE WASHINGTON VAAC . SOUFRIERE HILLS 99-023 WEST INDIES 16.72N 62.18W . BACKGROUND: SOUFRIERE HILLS MONTSERRAT (1600-05) SUMMIT HEIGHT 3000 FT (915 M) . SOURCES OF INFORMATION: MONTSERRAT VOLCANO OBSERVATORY AND SAN JUAN NWS OFFICE . ERUPTION DETAILS: ERUPTION OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 20/2031 UTC. . DETAILS OF ASH CLOUD: THE MONTSERRAT VOLCANO OBSERVATORY REPORTS THAT A SIGNIFICANT VOLCANIC ERUPTION OF SOUFRIERE HILLS HAS OCCURRED BASED ON SEISMIC ACTIVITY. DENSE CLOUDS PROHIBITED THEIR SEEING ANY ASH CLOUD AT THIS TIME..HOWEVER THE SAN JUAN NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE HAS RECEIVED SEVERAL PILOT REPORTS OF ASH BEING OBSERVED. NO ESTIMATE OF THE HEIGHT OF THE ASH IS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. SATELLITE IMAGERY HAS NOT YET DETECTED ANY ASH. . TRAJECTORY: N/A. . THIS AND OTHER VOLCANIC ASH ADVISORY STATEMENTS OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY A MAP DEPICTING ASH LOCATION ARE AVAILABLE AT INTERNET URL ADDRESS www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/messages.html (all lower case except /VAAC/) . OUTLOOK: N/A . ANOTHER VAAS WILL BE ISSUED WHEN MORE DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE. . NNNN