A screen shot of steam rising from Whakaari/White Island on 30 October 2025. Photo: Supplied
Volcanologists will be monitoring Whakaari/White Island over the weekend in the wake of two short-lived eruptions.
The Bay of Plenty volcano is at alert level three and aviation colour-code orange after GeoNet cameras picked up two small low-energy eruptions on Thursday.
The blasts - recorded at 12.30pm and 6.40pm - were short and ash was deposited around the island, with sulphur dioxide (SO2) detected.
"Our colleagues at MetService have not detected volcanic ash in the observed plumes using satellite imagery but SO2 was detected," duty volcanologist Agnes Mazot said in a statement.
"The [second eruption] seems to have lasted for a few minutes, and no further eruption has been observed."
Earth Sciences NZ said there were no sensors on the island, so scientists watching the volcano had to rely on remote cameras, satellite imagery and flights to detect gas.
"Short-lived increases in degassing or steam may generate plumes of gas (possibly containing minor volcanic ash) with little or no warning over the coming days," Mazot said.
The alert level was raised from two to three after the first eruption.
Forty-seven people were on the Bay of Plenty volcano when it erupted in December 2019, killing 22 and seriously injuring 25.
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