Ambae’s Manaro Voui volcano remained in minor eruption on March 6, 2026, as Vanuatu’s government approved emergency response measures after acid rain and ash impacts spread beyond the island. Authorities maintained Alert Level 3 and prepared evacuation plans in case activity escalates further, but said no mass evacuation had been ordered at this stage.
Volcanic ash from Ambae volcano, Vanuatu, was reported at 4 300 m (14 000 feet) above sea level on March 1, 2026. Authorities keep the volcano at Alert Level 3, with activity confined to the summit caldera and hazards limited to a 3 km (1.9 miles) exclusion zone. The ash cloud was observed moving southeast at approximately 28 km/h (17 mph).
The Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department (VMGD) raised the Volcanic Alert Level for Ambae volcano to Level 3 on February 23, 2026, following increased eruptive activity that began on February 20. Ash emissions have reached up to 4 900 m (16 000 feet) above sea level on February 24, and the hazard zone has expanded to a 3 km (1.9 miles) radius around the active vent in Lake Voui.
Low-level eruptive activity resumed at Ambae volcano (Manaro Voui) in Vanuatu, with intermittent ash emissions observed since December 1, 2025. Satellite imagery from Himawari-9 confirmed continuous low-level ash and gas plumes reaching up to 1.8 km (6 000 feet) above sea level, drifting northwest. The Wellington Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) issued its latest advisory on December 4, describing the eruption as continuous but confined within the volcano’s summit area.
The Volcanic activity on Ambae Island has now increased from minor to major unrest level in December 2021. Accordingly, the Volcanic Alert Level increased from Level 1 to Level 2 on December 27. New analyses suggest that activity at the volcano has significantly…
Volcanic explosions were recorded at Vanuatu's Ambae volcano at 07:32 UTC (18:32 LT) on October 30, 2018. The Volcanic Alert Level remains at Level 2 and danger to direct safety to life for visitors and communities remains at 2 km (1.2 miles) radius around the…
Ambae is being fully evacuated again for the second time since September 2017 as heavy ash continues blanketing the island. The possibility that the Ambae volcano activity escalates to the level of moderate eruption is now moderate to high. Vanuatu officials ordered…
A major increase in SO2 emissions was observed at Vanuatu's Ambae volcano over the past couple of days, with levels similar to those measured in early April when much of the island was devastated by ashfall. Volcanic alert level for the volcano was raised to…
A strong eruption occurred at Vanuatu's Ambae volcano at 03:30 UTC on July 16, 2018. The eruption ejected ash up to 9.1 km (33 000 feet) above sea level. This activity is consistent with the Volcanic Alert Level 2, the Vanuatu Meteorological and Geohazards…
Vanuatu's Manoro Voui volcano, also known as Ambae and Aoba, erupted in September 2017, forcing short-term mass evacuation. The entire island was evacuated but most of its 11 000 residents returned by December, only to find their island covered in ash, grey and…
