FVXX20 KWBC 180730 VOLCANIC ASH ADVISORY STATEMENT ISSUED 0730 UTC 18 MAY 2000 BY THE WASHINGTON VAAC . SOUFRIERE HILLS 00-091 WEST INDIES 1643N 6211W . BACKGROUND: SOUFRIERE HILLS MONTSERRAT (1600-05) SUMMIT HEIGHT 3000 FT (915M) SOURCES OF INFORMATION: INFRARED AND MULTISPECTRAL SATELLITE IMAGERY. MONTSERRAT VOLCANO OBSERVATORY. 18/0000 GUADELOUPE UPPER AIR SOUNDING. . ERUPTION DETAILS: ROCKFALLS GENERATING LOW LEVEL ASH CLOUD. . DETAILS OF ASH CLOUD: AT ABOUT 17/1300 UTC THE MONTSERRAT VOLCANO OBSERVATORY REPORTED THAT ROCKFALL ACTIVITY AT THE VOLCANO WAS GENERATING ASH THAT WAS BEING PICKED UP BY THE WIND. IN SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 18/0645 UTC A HOT SPOT IS OBSERVED IN SHORTWAVE IMAGERY BUT NO ASH IS OBSERVED IN INFRARED OR MULTISPECTRAL IMAGERY. HOWEVER A FAINT ASH PLUME WAS OBSERVED THROUGHOUT DAYLIGHT HOURS ON MAY 17 IN VISIBLE IMAGERY. ASH WAS ESTIMATED AT OR BELOW FL030. . TRAJECTORY: ASH AT FL030 WILL MOVE TOWARD THE WEST NORTHWEST AT 5 TO 10 KNOTS. . OUTLOOK: SEE SIGMETS. . THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY 18/1330. . 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. . NNNN