Kilauea volcano erupts in Hawaii, lava confined to crater

Lava bursts out of Kilauea volcano Lava can be seen spewing out of the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island after erupting early on Wednesday.

The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island erupted early on Wednesday morning and lava flows are currently confined to the surrounding crater floor, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said on Wednesday.

Kilauea last erupted in January, with activity stretching into March, the USGS says. The organization's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) detected a glow in Kilauea summit webcam images on Wednesday at 4:44 a.m. (14:44 GMT), indicating a new eruption.

"The opening phases of eruptions are dynamic," the USGS said in an advisory. "The activity is confined to Halemaʻumaʻu (crater) and the hazards will be reassessed as the eruption progresses."

The USGS said it is elevating Kilauea's aviation colour code from orange to red as it evaluates the eruption.

Located in a closed area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Kilauea is one of the world's most active volcanoes. In 2019, a string of earthquakes and major eruption at Kilauea led to the destructions of hundreds of homes and businesses.

Reporting by Katharine Jackson and Rami Ayyub; Editing by Paul Grant, William Maclean