"There may be veiled references to comets in the biblical narrative, leading to the possibility that the Santorini eruption itself may have been triggered by a bolide (comet or asteroid) impact. David Levy, co-discoverer of the comet that bears his and Jean Shoemaker's names, has argued that the description of the “angel of the Lord in the sky over Jerusalem with a drawn sword” (1 Chronicles 21) could be a reference to a comet."
"The Angel of the Lord was, of course, also present at the Exodus, as it was “traveling in front of Israel's army.” Further, there are indications that as the Israelites left Egypt, the night was as bright as midday.
Other than there having been just one ancient, historic eruption of Thera, around 200 BC... ;’)
The Santorini/Thera volcano was about 1626 BC, so it was too early. However, Etna blew a big one at 1500 BC plus or minus 50 years. Personally, I think the pillar of fire by night and smoke by day was volcanic in nature. Note the recent eruption in the Red Sea. A lot more work has to be done on Middle East volcanism, dates, etc.
Just clicked this old post, 2007. Did people know about the huge crater in the Iraq Marshes that was formed around 2,000 BC by that year? There was a major eruption of Mt. Etna 1500 BC +/-50 years. A heavy ash cloud falling over the upper Nile could have led to physteria bloom, blood red water, dead cattle, plague of toads, flies gnats, skin infections,etc. If there was a more general volcanic instability in the region, Hail could happen from volcanic dust encouraged clouds, and locusts sweep in from the desert according to their own reasons. Other regional volcanic activity could cause several days of darkness, and eating undercooked moist bread would be more likely to kill than eating dry unrisen flatbreads for a week, as would eating roasted meat, not boiled or raw. Regional volcanic activity could have provided a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night. Also there is a phenomenon called inflation that could have uplifted the waters dividing Egypt from Sinai and let it fall again. In Japan when Mt. Usu erupted a few decades ago, the land inflated around 300 feet. So that is my scientific theory and I am sticking to it. Exodus 12:40 says the Israelites lived in Egypt 430 years (the NIV Bible says about 1876 to 1446) which could fit with the Mt. Etna scenario.