Kilauea volcano is erupting.
At approximately 3:20 p.m. today, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory detected glow in Kilauea summit webcam images indicating that an eruption has commenced within Halemaʻumaʻu crater in the volcano’s summit caldera within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Webcam imagery shows fissures at the base of Halemaʻumaʻu crater generating lava flows on the surface of the lava lake that was active until May 2021, according to HVO.
HVO is elevating Kilauea’s volcano alert level from “watch” to “warning” and its aviation color code from orange to red as this new eruption and associated hazards are evaluated.
The activity is confined to Halemaʻumaʻu and the hazards will be reassessed as the eruption progresses, HVO said.
HVNP spokeswoman Jessica Ferracane told The Associated Press earlier today that colleagues reported seeing some lava spatter and glow within the summit crater.
“He saw that from Volcano House, which is at least two miles away from the eruption site, so I suspect … we’ll be able to see a pretty glow, and who knows what else,” she said.
The Volcano House is a hotel and restaurant within the national park adjacent to the visitor center.
“The park is open, and there are no road closures at this time,” Ferracane said.