Lava flow from Stromboli’s North crater reaches coastline, Italy
Lava overflow activity increased at Stromboli from 21:20 LT (19:20 UTC) on May 4, 2026, sending a flow from the North crater area down the Sciara del Fuoco to the coastline by about 03:00 LT (01:00 UTC) on May 5. INGV reported average volcanic tremor, a slight increase in explosion-related earthquakes, and no significant GNSS change.
Lava flow at Stromboli volcano, Italy at 14:09 UTC on May 5, 2026. Credit: INGV-OE
Video surveillance cameras recorded increased lava-overflow effusive activity from the North crater area at Stromboli volcano starting at 19:20 UTC on May 4. The lava flow advanced along the Sciara del Fuoco and reached the coastline around 01:00 UTC on May 5, while Strombolian activity continued in the North and Central-South crater areas.
The Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, Etna Observatory (INGV-OE), reported volcanic tremor amplitude within the average range at the time of its May 5 update. The observatory recorded a slight increase in the occurrence rate and amplitude of explosion-related earthquakes, while the GNSS high-frequency network showed no significant change.
Today’s activity follows intense spattering from the North crater area on May 4, feeding lava-overflow effusive activity with variable intensity. At 11:24 UTC on May 4, the most advanced lava front was in the middle-upper part of the Sciara del Fuoco, volcanic tremor was in the high range, while the GNSS network showed no significant change.
Sullo Stromboli è stato registrato da ieri sera un aumento dell’attività effusiva da tracimazione nell’area craterica Nord. Secondo il monitoraggio dell’Ingv-Osservatorio Etneo di Catania, la colata lavica è avanzata lungo la Sciara del Fuoco fino a raggiungere la linea di costa… pic.twitter.com/2mKT6mpPyp
— La Sicilia (@lasicilia) May 5, 2026
Italy’s Department of Civil Protection lists Stromboli at a Yellow alert level. The department warned that lava flows and paroxysmal explosions at the volcano can destabilize the slope, generating landslides that can trigger tsunamis along Stromboli, Panarea, other Aeolian islands, Calabria, and Sicily.
Stromboli has two inhabited centers, Stromboli and Ginostra, located in the northeastern and southwestern sectors of the island, respectively.
References:
1 Comunicato Stromboli – INGV-OE – May 5, 2026
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