Kilauea volcano erupts in Hawaii, lava fountain reaches 150 m

The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Island of Hawai‘i entered a new eruptive episode on the night of 28‑29 July 2026. Designated episode 52 since the volcano became active in December 2024, the eruption lasted about 7.5 hours. A lava fountain from the north vent rose approximately 150 metres (about 500 feet) into the sky, and the event expelled roughly 4.7 million cubic metres of lava, covering about half of the floor of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater. An ash and gas plume rose to around 5,800 metres above sea level before descending to roughly 3,000 metres. The US Geological Survey (USGS) raised the volcano‑alert level from yellow to orange, but no lava reached populated areas and no injuries were reported. Scientists noted low‑magnitude tremors and a renewed magma accumulation, signalling a possible episode 53 in the coming days, and they continue to monitor the crater and surrounding vents.