HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK – Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano started to erupt early Wednesday morning for the second time this year, according to an alert released by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
According to the HVO, Kilauea began to erupt about 4:44 a.m. HST.
The HVO said it detected a glow in Kilauea summit webcam images, which indicated that an eruption commenced within Halema’uma’u crater in Kilauea’s summit caldera within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
The USGS HVO elevated Kilauea’s volcano alert levels from watch to warning, and its aviation color code from orange to red as the eruption and associated hazards were elevated according to the HVO.
There is no indication that any nearby populations are threatened by the volcano.
Live web cameras at the Halemaʻumaʻu crater on the south rim show lots of activity, including an active lava lake with geysers of lava.
The eruption is happening in an area closed to the public and confined within the park. The HVO will continue to monitor the situation as the eruption continues.
Kilauea last erupted in January. The activity continued until March 7. According to the HVO, the eruption was brief compared to the previous two eruptions which lasted about three months.