Popocatepetl volcano near Mexico City filed the sky with smoke and ash. Mexico City is on a Stage 3 alert and planes have been grounded. The Popocatepetl volcano eruption was captured on video-scroll down to watch.

Yesterday the Popocatéptl volcano emitted 39 exhalations. One reached more than a mile in the air. A statement was released by Mexico's National Disaster Prevention

Center (Cenapred) saying that the greatest emission occurred before 7 am.

Mexico City residents awoke last week to ash and volcanic dust covering their cars due to the Popocatepetl volcano. Ashfalls are rare because winds blow volcanic dust in other directions.

The Popocatepetl volcano has continaulally caused eruptions of vapor and ash into the air from the 15,000-foot volcano.

"The ash affects us a lot, because we get our water from the snow melt from Popocatepetl, and right now we can't use the water for bathing, for cooking, we can't even give it to our animals," said Agustina Perez Gutierrez, a housewife in San Pedro Nexapa.

Mexico's National Center for Disaster Prevention has now raised the alert from Stage 2 Yellow to Stage 3 Yellow. This is the last stage before a Red Alert, when evacuations could be ordered.

Flights have also been grounded. Residents have been urged to wear dust maks, cover water supplies, and stay indoors.

Last Thursday, more than 40 flights were cancelled, leaving passengers stranded. The ash can also damage planes. American Airlines said that it had cancelled the flights as a precautionary measure.

A Stage 3 Yellow alert was in effect earlier this year but lowered in June. There is currently a 7-mile radius around the volcano nobody can enter.

Watch the volcano erupt below: