UPDATE: Episode 26 of Kilauea eruption ends abruptly

UPDATED 10:40 a.m.

Episode 26 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended abruptly this morning at 10:25 a.m., when lava fountains and flows stopped erupting from the south vent. The episode consisted of about eight hours of continuous lava fountaining, according to Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

The north vent stopped erupting at approximately 10:07 a.m, and the south vent stopped erupting at approximately 10:25 a.m., marking the end of the episode.

PREVIOUSLY

The 26th episode of the ongoing Kilauea eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu crater began at approximately 1:40 a.m. this morning, with lava fountains and flows erupting from the north vent.

Lava fountains were reaching heights of over 1,000 feet (300 meters).

According to the National Weather Service, winds are blowing from the north direction, which suggests that volcanic gas emissions and tephra from the lava fountain may be distributed south of Halema’uma’u caldera.

Episode 26 was preceded by small, sporadic spattering and lava overflows from the north vent that began at approximately 11:26 p.m. on Thursday and continued to increase in intensity until 1:40 a.m. today, when sustained fountaining began.

Most episodes of Halemaʻumaʻu lava fountaining since Dec. 23, 2024, have continued for around a day or less and have been separated by pauses in eruptive activity lasting generally at least several days.

Three Kilauea summit livestream videos are available here:

The Kilauea volcano alert level/aviation color code remain at WATCH/ORANGE. All current and recent activity is within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.