Health alerts issued as hazardous ‘vog’ from Kilauea spreads through Micronesia
High sulfur dioxide emissions and other gasses and particles released during ongoing eruption of Hawaiian Kilauea volcano have reached Micronesia, some 4 000 km (2 500 miles) west of the volcano, forcing authorities to issue health alerts.
The latest NOAA HYSPLIT model run projects haze produced by Kilauea volcano in Hawaii to spread southwestward over the next few days, the US National Weather Service based in Guam said Sunday, May 27, 2018. A haze plume is barely visible on the latest visible satellite loops, but local weather observers at both Kwajalein and Majuro in the Marshall Islands have reported haze at the airports today. This haze is expected to spread farther westward and reach Kosrae, Pohnpei and possibly Chuuk over the next few days.
Residents with respiratory health problems should stay indoors and avoid being outdoors when haze is seen and pilots and mariners need to be aware of lower visibilities caused by this haze, meteorologists said.
Visibility has increased and haze decreased on Monday, May 28, likely from increased showers across the region.
Widespread showers from Chuuk eastward have also helped to reduce the haze content for areas south of 10N on Tuesday, May 29 and meteorologists expect concentrations will decrease as Central Pacific winds redirect haze farther to the north and away from Micronesia.
At 09:22 CHST on May 29, Guam meteorologists said the haze has reached the Marianas.
"Latest observations across the Marianas showing reduced visibilities of around 11 km (7 miles) indicate that volcanic haze has reached the region. Satellite imagery shows a dense plume of haze spanning the Central Pacific that becomes more diffuse closer to the Marianas."
Winds are expected to continue bringing haze into the Marianas over the next couple of days. However, a through in the Central Pacific is expected to redirect haze farther to the north later this week thus reducing it the Marianas.
With the possibility that Kilauea may remain in a heightened state of activity, additional haze events are possible in subsequent weeks.
Featured image credit: NWS Guam
News reports say that Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupted on 4 May 2018 while some rumbling had started a week earlier. The development prompted evacuations and declaration of state of emergency. Obviously , the ash and lava being emitted by volcano eruption into sky has potential threat to the residents in the nearby area of health issues as well. The potential threat was , however , indicated by this Vedic astrology writer in alerts of 11 October , 2017 in article – “Astrological probable alerts for the United States in 2018” – published in monthly Webzine of Wisdom Magazine from the US at wisdom-magazine.com/Article.aspx/4647/ on 1 December , 2017. The text of the alert closely related to the point reads in the article as :-
“ May-June 2018. ……… There may arise need to deal with some widespread diseases in one or more vulnerable States or regions as follow for July-August in 2018 here in this article unless prompt measures are put in place at the initial stage when such a scenario appears on the scene. So a close watch in that direction by the concerned health departments in the Govt could be useful”.
The place of likely occurrence referred to in May-June 2018 was mentioned like this in the article :-
“July-August in 2018. …. .. Some States which may keep a watch on any developing such scenario in one or more vulnerable States or regions like … .. . Hawaii Island. Increased watch in one or more of said States against likely volcano eruption , fire , earthquakes , leakages of one or more commodities like chemicals or gas , could be meaningful”.
The aforesaid details of alert on 11 October , 2017 leave one in no doubt that volcano eruption in May-June , 2018 in Hawaii island was indicated by this writer for more care and appropriate strategy.