Mount Etna erupts and spews volcanic ash for 20 miles showering Sicily with stones People in Giardini-Naxos, Italy, put up umbrellas to protect themselves It is the latest in a string of eruptions by Europe's most active volcano Film-maker: 'You can hear it thundering and your windows vibrating' Most deadly in 1669 killed 20,000 people - but most eruptions are harmless Britain grinds to a halt with a few inches of a snow. So spare a thought for the people of Sicily - where it has been raining sharp black rocks. The torrent began on Saturday when Mount Etna spewed out stones, dust and ash into the sky - but some of those living in the shadow of Europe's most active volcano simply carried on as normal. Ash: Mount Etna has erupted again, raining rocks on homes and cars in the Sicilian town of Giardini-Naxos Stones: People have been putting up umbrellas to protect themselves from the shower of volcanic rocks Raining ash and rocks: Residents are used to the eruptions - and even put up umbrellas to protect themselves Townsfolk are seen clearing their windscreens, driving through the dust-laden streets and even putting up umbrellas. No residents had to be evacuated and the only disruption was when one road was closed for half an hour 'as a precaution'. Eruption: Smoke billowed from the crater of Mount Etna, Sicily, on Saturday. It is 11,000 feet high Two of the flight paths serving nearby Catania Airport, 20 miles from the crater, were closed briefly - but not one plane had to be diverted. A video of the otherwordly rain, which lasted about 45 minutes, has been seen more than 150,000 times on LiveLeak. Italian film-maker Turi Scandurra's shoes crunched through the streets of his native town Giardini-Naxos, which is less than 20 miles from the volcano and has fewer than 10,000 residents. Mr Scandurra, 32, told MailOnline: 'Ash falls from the sky about once a year but never this strongly. Usually we have some little dust but you don't get these big stones. As soon as it started I was trying to film the build-up on my terrace, then I looked up and the sky was huge and black. I covered my head with a sweatshirt and went out. 'The ash is not heavy but it's extremely sharp. Many cars got scratched and windshields got chipped as the stones are quite big. None of us were scared because Etna always reminds us of its presence. Sometimes you can hear it thundering and your windows vibrating - even the doors inside the house shudder. Mount Etna stands almost 11,000 feet above sea level, looming over the whole Italian island of Sicily. Its last eruption on November 17 was even more dramatic than Saturday's blast and the mountain spewed out rivers of lava. It has been active for thousands of years, although its first eruption of modern times was thought to be in 475 BC. Black rain: A piece of fruit stands out against the background of sharp stones which fell from the sky Ash: A woman is seen cleaning the ash from her porch in Giardini-Naxos. Etna erupts regularly near the town The cloud of ash turned the sky black - and the stones which fell were bigger than any seen before The road in Giardini-Naxos has been turned black by the eruption, which was the latest by Mount Etna Film-maker Turi Scandurra said the stones were light but sharp, forcing residents to take cover Some people in the town were undeterred, driving their cars through the thick layer of ash Fiery: Etna's last eruption on November 17 spewed molten lava down the side of the volcano. It has been erupting regularly for more than 2,000 years, occasionally killing thousands of people It is so well-known it was written about by the Ancient Roman poet Virgil, who called its eruptions a 'roar of frightful rain'. Eruptions are rarely dangerous, but they can kill. Etna's most deadly moment came in 1669, when a series of blasts killed 20,000 people and destroyed the town of Catania. But farmers stayed in the area because the constant eruptions made the ground fertile. Etna's blasts are known as Strombolian eruptions - caused when gas bubbles in molten magma accumulate underground and rise to the surface. These pockets of molten earth then burst in a fiery show, sending plumes of lava and smoke hundreds of feet into the air.