An explosive eruption occurred at Semeru volcano in East Java, Indonesia, at 08:49 LT (01:49 UTC) on March 29, 2026, producing an ash plume rising 800 m (2 625 feet) above the summit and a pyroclastic density current traveling 3.5 km (2.2 miles) toward the Besuk Kobokan drainage.
A new volcanic eruption occurred at Whakaari/White Island, New Zealand, at 17:35 LT on March 24, 2026, producing a dark grey ash plume rising to about 1 300 m (4 265 feet) above the vent. Authorities raised the Volcanic Alert Level to 3 and the Aviation Color Code to Orange following the event. Activity has since ceased, but further explosive events remain possible with little or no warning.
Explosive activity at Sheveluch volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, produced a volcanic ash plume rising to approximately 10.4 km (34 000 feet) altitude at 11:20 UTC on March 16, 2026, drifting east across the North Pacific. Satellite imagery from Himawari-9 detected the ash cloud moving east at around 110 km/h (70 mph). The Aviation Color Code remains at Orange.
Lava from an ongoing eruption at Piton de la Fournaise entered the Indian Ocean along the southeastern coast of Réunion Island at about 00:20 local time on March 16, 2026, after advancing downslope through the Grand Brûlé lava field and crossing the RN2 coastal road several days earlier, producing steam plumes and localized hazards where molten rock met seawater.
An explosive eruption occurred at Kanlaon volcano on Negros Island, central Philippines, at 18:07 LT (10:07 UTC) on March 15, 2026, producing an ash plume rising more than 5 km (3.1 miles) above the summit and depositing ashfall across at least 54 barangays in 11 local government units. Monitoring data associated with the event recorded nine volcanic earthquakes and sulfur-dioxide emissions of about 1 085 tonnes per day. Authorities also reported vegetation fires on the volcano’s slopes and suspended classes in several municipalities on March 16 as a precaution.
Lava from an ongoing eruption at Piton de la Fournaise crossed the RN2 coastal road in the Grand Brûlé sector of Réunion Island early March 13, 2026, cutting a key transport link between the island’s southern and eastern regions.
A weak eruption was detected at Whakaari / White Island volcano in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, on the morning of March 12, 2026, prompting authorities to raise the Volcanic Alert Level from 2 to 3 and the Aviation Colour Code from Yellow to Orange. According to GeoNet monitoring data, ash was observed in a low-level plume above the main vent, with ashfall confined to the crater floor.
Episode 43 of the ongoing eruption at Kīlauea began at about 09:17 LT on March 10, 2026, producing lava fountains exceeding 400 m (1 300 feet) from vents inside Halemaʻumaʻu crater, according to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). Tephra fallout forced the closure of part of Highway 11 and disrupted flights at Hilo International Airport as an ash plume rose to about 9 km (30 000 feet) above sea level.
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.
Magma continues to accumulate beneath the Svartsengi volcanic system on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, as of March 3, 2026. The Icelandic Meteorological Office reports that uplift remains steady, seismic activity is minimal, and the total stored magma has reached about 22.5 million cubic meters since the last eruption in July 2025.
