Over 8 000 people evacuated around Aoba (Ambae) volcano, Vanuatu

Over 8 000 people evacuated around Aoba (Ambae) volcano, Vanuatu

More than 8 000 people living near Aoba (Ambae) volcano in Vanuatu were forced to evacuate over the past several days due to increase in volcanic activity. The Vanuatu Government’s Council of Ministers has declared the State of Emergency on Ambae island on…

Alert level for Aoba (Ambae) volcano raised to second highest, Vanuatu

Alert level for Aoba (Ambae) volcano raised to second highest, Vanuatu

The Alert Level for Aoba volcano, also known as Ambae, was raised to the second highest (4 of 5) on Saturday, September 23, 2017. The activity at the volcano gradually intensified over the past couple of weeks and continues to intensify. The activity forced…

Strong and deep M6.4 earthquake hits Vanuatu

Strong and deep M6.4 earthquake hits Vanuatu

A strong and deep earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.4 hit Vanuatu at 20:09 UTC on September 20, 2017. The agency is reporting a depth of 200.2 km (125 miles). Geoscience Australia is reporting M6.3 at a depth of 204 km (126 miles). According to the USGS, the…

Alert level for Aoba (Ambae) volcano raised, Vanuatu

Alert level for Aoba (Ambae) volcano raised, Vanuatu

Volcanic activity at Aoba volcano, also known as Ambae, continues to increase, the Vanuatu Geohazards Observatory (VGO) reported September 6, 2017, and raised the Volcanic Alert Level for the volcano from Level 2 to Level 3 (on a scale of 0 – 4). This means that the…

Very strong M6.8 earthquake hits Vanuatu at intermediate depth

Very strong M6.8 earthquake hits Vanuatu at intermediate depth

A very strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.8 hit Vanuatu at 13:52 UTC on May 9, 2017. The agency is reporting a depth of 179 km (111 miles). After M6.4 in Japan's Ryukyu Islands, this is the second M6+ earthquake today. According to the USGS, the…

Donna becomes strongest May cyclone ever to hit southern hemisphere

Donna becomes strongest May cyclone ever to hit southern hemisphere

During the afternoon UTC hours of May 7, 2017, Tropical Cyclone "Donna" became the strongest May cyclone ever to hit the southern hemisphere. Donna peaked at 118.7 knots (220 km/h / 136 mph) at 19:32 UTC on May 7, before it started weakening. Vanuatu…

Severe Tropical Cyclone “Donna” swirling near Vanuatu

Severe Tropical Cyclone “Donna” swirling near Vanuatu

Forecast track for Tropical Cyclone "Donna" has changed and the cyclone is now expected to pass between Vanuatu and New Caledonia over the coming days. Forecast models are still in disagreement but it seems Vanuatu might be spared of a direct hit….