Fifteen airports in Spain, including Barcelona, have been closed because of the ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano, Spain's airport and air traffic authority Aena announced today.

Flights to and from some UK and Irish airports could be about to face more disruption from Iceland's volcanic ash cloud, forecasters said .

Renewed activity in the Eyjafjallajokull volcano sent ash up to heights of 20,000 to 30,000 feet earlier this week.

Northerly winds over the UK could take ash back over Ireland and western Scotland tomorrow or later in the week.

Forecaster Victoria Kettley from MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said "We're seeing more of a northerly wind from tomorrow in Scotland and over the rest of the UK on Monday and Tuesday.

"It looks as if Ireland and western Scotland could be affected. The wind is northerly rather than north westerly so it will not bring the ash right across the UK.

"If it was to go north westerly it would bring it across the rest of the UK but at the moment we're looking at more northerly winds."

On Wednesday an area of low pressure over Iceland is expected to take the ash away from the UK.

Met Office forecaster Andy Bodenham said that the higher level ash cloud was currently over the Atlantic.

Lower level ash is over Spain and moving towards the south of France, but is expected to disperse over the next few days.

The ash plume has already caused travel disruption for thousands of passengers over the past three weeks.