Authorities raise alert level as Kilauea volcano erupts

Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano began erupting on Wednesday morning, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported. “At approximately 4:44 a.m. HST on June 7, 2023, the (US Geological Survey’s) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory detected glow in Kīlauea summit webcam images indicating that an eruption has commenced within Halemaʻumaʻu crater in Kīlauea’s summit caldera, within Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park,” the observatory said in a statement. “The opening phases of eruptions are dynamic. Webcam imagery shows fissures at the base of Halemaʻumaʻu crater generating lava flows on the surface of the crater floor. The activity is confined to Halemaʻumaʻu and the hazards will be reassessed as the eruption progresses,” the HVO said. The alert level for Kilauea was raised to red for “warning,” the observatory said. The eruption is currently confined within the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. The observatory said it is in “constant communication” with park officials. “At this time there is NO indication that populated areas are threatened,” the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said on Twitter. Live video from USGS shows glowing lava shooting into the air atop the volcano’s summit. Kilauea previously erupted in January and showed signs of “heightened unrest” in May. The volcano had stopped erupting in December for the first time since September 2021.

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