A 33-year-old resident of Hawaiʻi was found dead after entering a closed area on the east side of the Kīlauea caldera in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on February 26, 2026. Authorities said the volcano was not erupting at the time of the incident, and the exact cause of death remains under investigation.
An impulsive explosion from the Bocca Nuova crater at Mount Etna, Italy, generated a short-lived ash emission at 13:12 LT (12:12 UTC) on March 4, 2026. Surveillance cameras recorded the ash plume dispersing quickly toward the eastern side of the volcano. The eruption followed an earthquake swarm on Mount Etna’s southwestern flank earlier in the day, which included a notable ML4.5 earthquake.
A total of 49 volcanic earthquakes were recorded at Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon Province, Philippines, between 03:00 LT on February 26 and 11:00 LT on March 2, 2026, prompting authorities to issue an advisory on increased seismic activity. Sixteen of the events were classified as volcano-tectonic earthquakes occurring at depths of 3–6 km (1.9–3.7 miles) beneath the northern and southeastern flanks of the volcano. Alert Level 0 remains in effect, but officials warn of a possible sudden phreatic eruption.
Heavy rainfall on March 3, 2026, triggered a destructive volcanic mudflow on Mount Merapi’s Kali Senowo channel in Magelang Regency, Central Java, Indonesia, sweeping away at least three trucks and one car.
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).
A significant explosive eruption occurred at Kanlaon Volcano, Philippines, at 19:04 local time (LT) on February 26, 2026, sending a dense ash plume 2.5 km (1.6 miles) above the crater and producing pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) that descended its upper slopes. The eruption lasted two minutes and was followed by 77 minutes of continuous ash emission dispersed over southern Negros Island.
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.
More than 30 families evacuated La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, Philippines, after an explosive eruption at Kanlaon volcano at 16:39 LT (08:39 UTC) on February 19, 2026. The eruption generated a 2 000 m (6 562 feet) ash plume, pyroclastic density currents within 2 km (1.2 miles) of the crater, and ashfall across 41 barangays in six cities and municipalities.
Satellite monitoring confirms that Home Reef volcano in Tonga remains active nearly two months after its latest eruption began on December 17, 2025. The eruption has expanded the island’s surface area by nearly 8 ha (20 acres) as lava flows extended its margins east, south, northwest, and north.
A new swarm of hybrid seismic events began beneath Teide volcano on Tenerife at 20:00 LT (21:00 UTC) on February 16, 2026, according to the Instituto Volcanológico de Canarias (INVOLCAN). More than 300 very low-magnitude earthquakes have been detected so far by the Canary Seismic Network, marking the eighth swarm of this type recorded on the island since 2016. INVOLCAN attributes the activity to magmatic-fluid injection into Tenerife’s hydrothermal system and states that the likelihood of an eruption remains unchanged.
