Hawaii's Kilauea volcano, one of the world's most active, erupted again, spewing fountains of lava more than 80 feet high. The volcano began erupting at around 3:15 pm local time, the US geological survey's (USGS) Hawaiian volcano observatory said. "The eruption was preceded by a period of strong seismicity and rapid uplift of the summit," it said. This marks the third time the volcano has erupted this year, after bursting in January and June.
A USGS livestream from the rim of the caldera showed fountains of lava erupting from multiple fissures in the crater.
"Lava fountain heights have decreased since the eruption onset, but remain up to about 20-25 meters (65-82 feet) high," the volcano observatory said raising the volcano's alert status from "watch" to “warning”. The aviation alert was increased to red.
Hawaii emergency management agency warned that volcanic gases could be a problem for people exposed to them. "At this time, lava at Kilauea is confined to the summit and does not pose a lava threat to communities. However, eruptions emit volcanic particles and gases which may create breathing problems for people exposed," it posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
{{/usCountry}}Hawaii emergency management agency warned that volcanic gases could be a problem for people exposed to them. "At this time, lava at Kilauea is confined to the summit and does not pose a lava threat to communities. However, eruptions emit volcanic particles and gases which may create breathing problems for people exposed," it posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
{{/usCountry}}Kilauea is one of six active volcanoes on the Hawaiian islands. It erupted almost continuously between 1983 and 2019.