Football-sized volcanic rocks are raining down on Hawaii.
Kīlauea volcanoroared back to life on Tuesday morning, shooting lava fountains over 1,300 feet into the sky and forcing the US Geological Survey to issue its highest alert level. Episode 43 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu summit eruption began at 9:17 a.m. local time on 10 March 2026, with an ash plume climbing to 30,000 feet above sea level, nearly double the typical height of previous episodes.
This is the first time since the current eruptive cycle began on 23 December 2024 that the USGS has raised the volcano alert level to Warning, the top of its four-tier scale. The aviation colour code now sits at Red.
Kilauea has now erupted43 timessince late December 2024. That works out to roughly one eruption every 1.8 days. Most episodes last less than 24 hours, but their frequency and growing intensity have kept scientists and residents on edge.
Episode 43 is more severe than most. Previous eruptions typically sent ash plumes to 15,000 or 20,000 feet. This one hit 30,000. The lava fountains from both the north and south vents peaked above 1,300 feet, or about 400 metres.
'Fallout up to football size pieces and smaller are reported at overlooks in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, creating hazardous ground conditions,' the USGS stated in itsofficial notice.
The fallout is not limited to the national park. Residents in Volcano Village and Mauna Loa Estates reported tephra fragments up to three inches in diameter hitting their properties. The glassy volcanic debris can irritate skin, eyes, and lungs.
Highway 11, the main route connecting communities around the park, is now closed between mile markers 24 and 40. That cuts off a major transit link for thousands of residents and visitors.
Hawaii County opened an evacuation shelter at Kaʻū District Gym in Pāhala for anyone displaced by road closures or falling debris. All three Volcano School of Arts & Sciences campuses will stay closed on Wednesday for tephra cleanup, with all after-school programmes cancelled.
The National Weather Service extended an ashfall warning until 11 p.m. Tuesday for the park and communities to the southeast and southwest. Areas to the northeast, including Glenwood, Mountain View, Keaau, and Hilo, remain under an ashfall advisory.
Source: International Business Times UK
