11-05-2025
Whakaari/White Island: Ash cloud cancels flights into Tauranga
The advisory states there is ongoing low-level eruption, but ash was observed 'further west than modelled'.
On Sunday afternoon, the Tauranga region experienced a light easterly from about 1pm. This is expected to change to a light southerly on Monday and then a light westerly by Tuesday evening, according to the MetService forecast.
During April, 2025, images from the webcams at Whakatāne and Te Kaha recorded an increase in volcanic ash in the steam and gas plume at Whakaari/White Island.
During the same period, MetService were able to detect minor amounts of volcanic ash in the plume using satellite imagery.
From the coast, this can be seen as a hazy plume trailing downwind from the volcano.
These observations indicated that there had been a gradual increase in eruptive activity and in response, the Volcanic Alert Level was raised to Level 3 on April 17.
The Aviation Colour Code remains at Orange.
SunLive has asked volcanologists at GNS Science for an update on Whakaari/White Island.
