A thick ash cloud was seen towering above Italy's Stromboli volcano on Monday as its eruption continued.

According to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), intense explosive activity and lava overflow began on December 4, with a larger explosion later emanating from Sciara del Fuoco's central-southern crater area.

The volcanic events had no direct link with the magnitude-4.6 earthquake recorded earlier that morning near the island of Vulcano, said INGV.