On the Big Island of Hawaii, a volcano has erupted and is pouring enormous amounts of lava.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) reports that the Wednesday morning eruption of the Kilauea volcano began just before 4.45am local time.
The crater’s red hot patches were visible on a webcam broadcast, along with boiling lava and smoke.
‘Webcam imagery shows fissures at the base of Halema’uma’u crater generating lava flows on the surface of the crater floor,’ stated the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
‘The activity is confined to Halema’uma’u and the hazards will be reassessed as the eruption progresses.’
Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency stated that there is ‘no indication that populated areas are threatened’.
The eruption for the time being is ‘within a closed area’ of Volcanoes National Park, according to the USGS.
However, ‘very light ashfall’ could make its way to parts of Kau, Puna and South Kona through the evening, the state’s emergency services stated.