Can you imagine an evacuation of a city the size of Mexico City?
Popocatépetl is 70 km (43 mi) southeast of Mexico City, from where it can be seen regularly. It is cone shaped with a diameter of 16 mi at its base, with a peak elevation of 17,880 ft.
The volcano has been very active through the 21st century. 
Daily Mail
Smoke, ash and molten rock spewing into the sky pose risks to aviation and far-flung communities below.
The huge volcano that towers above Mexico City is considered one of the most dangerous in the world because some 25 million people live within a 60-mile radius.
Sunday’s increased alert level – to ‘yellow phase three’ – comes a day after two Mexico City airports temporarily halted operations due to falling ash, which also forced 11 villages to cancel school sessions.
The yellow warning means ‘remain alert and prepare for a possible evacuation,’ according to the warning system developed by Mexico’s National Disaster Prevention Center.
The yellow phase three activated Sunday means ‘intermediate to high activity’ and is triggered when the volcano shows ‘significant explosions of increasing intensity that shoot fragments (of rock) over considerable distances.’
The next step, a red alert, triggers mandatory evacuations, and dozens of shelters have already been opened in areas surrounding the crater as a precaution.
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