TOKYO: The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) on Thursday raised its volcanic alert level for Mt. Aso in southwestern Japan to level 3 out of 5, after it detected an increase in volcanic tremors in the morning, reported Xinhua.
The JMA warned people not to approach Mt. Aso, warning of the danger of a volcanic eruption that could trigger falling rocks and pyroclastic flows.
The weather agency’s rising of its warning on its five-tier scale to level 3 means there is a possibility that a volcanic eruption that could seriously impact the surrounding areas could occur.
Those in the vicinity of the mountain in Kumamoto Prefecture need to be increasingly vigilant when the weather agency notches up its warning level.
The agency has warned that falling rocks and pyroclastic flows could occur within a two-km radius from Mt. Aso’s craters.
The JMA’s latest warning follows one of the volcano’s craters erupting on Oct. 20., which saw the alert level raised to level 3.
On Nov. 18, the alert level was lowered to level 2, with the JMA urging people to keep their distance from the volcano’s crater. - Bernama
