Whakaari/White Island, a volcano off the coast of the Bay of Plenty, is gently giving off small amounts of volcanic ash. Because of this, Earth Sciences NZ has raised the volcano’s alert level, a scale scientists use to show how active a volcano is.
The change was confirmed on Tuesday afternoon, 20 October 2026, when scientists flew over the island to take a look. They spotted a blanket of ash around the active vent, an opening in the Main Crater, with a small amount being carried upwards in a column of steam and gas.
The aviation colour code, a warning system that helps pilots stay safe around volcanoes, has also been raised to orange. Ash near the island can be a nuisance for planes and boats in the area.
Earth Sciences NZ said the ash was coming out weakly, and there was no sign that an explosive eruption had happened. It said this kind of activity is normal for Whakaari/White Island and could carry on for weeks.
Scientists warned that the volcano could become more active with little or no warning. Bigger, sudden eruptions can throw rocks and send out surges of gas, which can be dangerous on the main crater floor and just offshore to the south-east of the island.
For people on the mainland, the risk is very low, with a sulphur smell (a bit like rotten eggs) and light ash fall the most likely things anyone will notice.
Te Reo Māori
Headline: Kei te Puha Pungarehu a Whakaari/White Island
Kei te puha māmā a Whakaari/White Island, he puia kei waho o te takutai o Te Moana-a-Toi, i ētahi pungarehu iti. Nā tēnei, kua hikitia e Earth Sciences NZ te taumata whakatūpato o te puia, he tauine e whakaatu ai ngā kaipūtaiao i te kaha o te puia.
I whakaūngia te panonitanga i te ahiahi o te Tūrei, 20 Oketopa 2026, i te rerenga o ngā kaipūtaiao ki runga i te motu ki te titiro. I kite rātou i tētahi paraikete pungarehu huri noa i te kōwhao hohe, he puare kei te Main Crater, ā, he paku pungarehu e kawea ana whakarunga i roto i tētahi pou korohū, haurehu hoki.
Kua hikitia hoki te aviation colour code, he pūnaha whakatūpato e āwhina ana i ngā kaiurungi kia noho haumaru i te taha o ngā puia, ki te karaka. Ka raruraru pea ngā waka rererangi me ngā poti e tata ana ki te motu i te pungarehu.
E ai ki a Earth Sciences NZ, he ngoikore te puta mai o te pungarehu, ā, kāore he tohu kua pahū te puia. E ai ki a ia, he mea noa tēnei momo mahi mō Whakaari/White Island, ā, tērā pea ka haere tonu mō ētahi wiki.
I whakatūpato ngā kaipūtaiao, ka kaha ake pea te puia, me te iti, te kore rānei o te whakatūpato. Ka taea e ngā hū nui, ohorere hoki te whiu toka me te tuku ngaru haurehu, ā, he mōrearea ēnei ki te papa o te Main Crater me te moana tata ki te tonga-mā-rāwhiti o te motu.
Mō te hunga kei te tuawhenua, he tino iti te mōrearea, ā, ko te haunga pungatara (he rite paku ki te hēki pirau) me te taka iti o te pungarehu ngā mea ka kitea pea.
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