White Island volcano: New Zealand’s Whakaari/White Island volcano may erupt soon, alert level raised to 3 todayheadline

Whakaari/White Island’s volcanic alert level was raised to level 3 on April 17, 2025, due to a gradual increase in eruptive activity, including more frequent ash emissions and intermittent explosive activity. The aviation colour code remains at orange. While threat level 3 means there is a likelihood of minor volcanic eruption which may affect the area near the vent, the aviation threat code orange is a signal that an volcanic eruption is underway with no or minor ash emission.

The volcano situated 48 km from New Zealand’s North Island east coast sis situated in the Bay of Plenty.

GeoNet, which is a partnership between Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake, GNS Science, and Land Information New Zealand, is monitoring the Whakaari/White Island volcano using a combination of webcams, satellite imagery, and observation flights.

According to the geological experts monitoring the situation, the increased activity includes more frequent observations of volcanic ash in the volcano’s steam and gas plume, detected by webcams and satellites. Recent observation and gas flights have also revealed evidence of intermittent explosive activity.

GeoNet reported that volcanic ash has been observed more frequently in the volcano’s steam and gas plume by webcams on the island. Satellites have detected “minor amounts” of ash.

“From the coast, this can be seen as a hazy plume trailing downwind from the volcano. These observations indicate that there has been a gradual increase in eruptive activity,” GeoNet said in a volcanic activity bulletin.Recent observation and gas flights observed evidence of “intermittent explosive activity”. Impact craters on the main crater floor were observed, indicating more explosive activity. Rocks were ejected several hundreds of metres away from the vent.”During recent observation flights, we have observed impact craters on the main crater floor, indicating that on occasions, more explosive activity has occurred, ejecting rocks several hundreds of metres away from the vent. Explosive events like these are common at Whakaari as active vents grow, periodically become clogged, or gas flux increases,” the bulletin reads.

Monitoring data from gas flights, thermal InfraRed temperature measurements and sulphur dioxide emissions detected by satellite have all shown “slight increases” in overall volcanic activity and more frequent ash emissions.

“Volcanic ash emissions remain minor and during periods of northerly winds, the plume of gas and ash may be noticed by residents on the coast as sulphur odours.”

Ash was not expected to fall on the Bay of Plenty coastline “at this time”.