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6h ago

Shinmoedake Erupts, Sending Ash 7 Kilometers High Over Kyushu

Officials keep a Level 3 alert in place, warning residents to stay away during continued monitoring.

Japan's Mt Shinmoedake Erupts, Spews Volcanic Ash 5.5 Km In Sky | WATCH
Photo taken on the morning of Aug. 28, 2025, from an unmanned fixed-point camera in Kirishima in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, shows the Shinmoedake volcano erupting. The height of its eruption column reached 5,500 meters earlier in the day, the Kagoshima Meteorological Office said.

Overview

  • Japan’s meteorological agency confirmed the eruption at 4:53 a.m. local time on August 28, with the ash column reaching about 5.5 km above the crater, or roughly 7 km above sea level.
  • Authorities maintain a Level 3 alert with a 3 km exclusion zone around the crater due to risks from ballistic ejecta and localized ashfall.
  • The Tokyo VAAC reported the plume drifting south, and there were no immediate reports of injuries, damage, or flight disruptions as of Thursday.
  • The blast produced the highest plume since early July, following weeks of frequent ash emissions and sulfur dioxide output averaging about 1,000 tons per day.
  • Mt. Shinmoedake is one of about 50 active volcanoes under constant JMA surveillance, and officials caution that further activity remains possible.