Volcano spews ash on Mexico City

This March 25, 2015 file photo shows a plume of ash and steam rising from the crater of the Popocatepetl volcano, seen from the town of San Nicolas de los Ranchos, Mexico. (AP)

Ash spewing from the Popocatepetl volcano has reached the southern neighborhoods of Mexico's capital.

The National Center for Disaster Prevention warned Mexicans on Saturday to stay away from the volcano after activity picked up in the crater and it registered 183 emissions of gas and ash over 24 hours.

The center was monitoring multiple rumblings and tremors. Images on social media showed thin layers of ash coating car windshields in neighborhoods of Mexico City such as Xochimilco.

Geophysicists have noticed an increase in activity at the volcano that sits 45 miles (72 kilometers) southeast of the capital since a 7.1-magnitude earthquake rocked central Mexico in September 2017. The volcano known as "Don Goyo" has been active since 1994.