Hawaiian Volcano Update: Kīlauea Eruption’s 43rd Pause Continues & Another Storm - March 26, 2026
The second storm system in two weeks arrived this past weekend, extending the impacts of rainfall, strong winds and flooding state-wide. Considering the eye-opening effects on Maui and Oʻahu, fortunately Hawaiʻi Island was spared the worst of it. Locally, infrastructure outages were fewer and shorter-lived, although cleanup especially from flooding of schools and businesses continued. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s restoration of the monitoring network made substantial progress, although several instruments “will remain offline until we are able to re-establish access across the deep tephra field south of the caldera.”
Intermittent glow has been visible from the vents at night over the past week, with rare spatter beginning in the past two days. While some monitoring data was lost at certain sites like Uēkahuna as a result of the storm and power outages, other stations such as Summer Camp and Kīlauea Iki provide continuity and reference for the ongoing recharge of the volcano’s magmatic system. Based on the latest modeling, the USGS-HVO currently forecasts a window of April 5-15 for the onset of the 44th episode of high fountaining, subject to change pending additional data.
In the intervening week, trade winds are expected to limit the impact of volcanic emissions to areas south and west of Kīlauea. As is typical between fountaining episodes, both vents are degassing 1,000 to 5,000 tonnes of SO2 per day, which while low-level for the current activity, is still much greater than industrial standards and impactful to downwind residents. Both during and between episodes, vog and tephra remain the most common hazards for island residents, and the usual precautions and preparations apply, especially for those with respiratory sensitivities – more information at https://vog.ivhhn.org/.
As usual, we summarize the monitoring signals, imagery, and reports available courtesy of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory as well as our broader community, annotating the presentation on-screen as we go and discussing live viewer questions.
