Hawaii, United States – Low-level lava activity began at the summit of Kīlauea overnight, leading to a change in the volcano’s alert status on the island of Hawaiʻi.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory issued a Volcanic Activity Notice on Monday evening and raised the Volcano Alert Level from ADVISORY to WATCH. The Aviation Color Code was also increased from YELLOW to ORANGE.

“Precursory low-level activity for episode 45 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption at the summit of Kīlauea began around 7:46 p.m. HST on April 20, 2026, with several overflows of lava from the north vent,” the Observatory reported.

Forecasts indicate that Episode 45 lava fountaining is expected to begin between Tuesday, April 21, and Sunday, April 26. Officials noted that precursory activity may continue for hours or even days before lava fountaining starts.

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