NORTH SULAWESI, Indonesia — Mount Ibu erupted on Saturday, sending a four-kilometer-high ash cloud into the sky and triggering a rare volcanic thunderstorm, complete with lightning flashes around the volcano’s peak, according to the local observation post.
According to Philippines News Agency, an officer at the Mount Ibu observation post, the eruption occurred at 8:08 p.m. local time, producing columns of gray volcanic ash that moved west and northwest with "thick intensity." Chaniago explained that volcanic thunderstorms occur during eruptions due to high temperatures heating gas ions, which then spike the electrical charge in the atmosphere. "The sound of rumbling and roaring was heard up to the Mount Ibu observation post with lightning seen in the eruption column," he noted in a report.
The initial eruption was recorded on a seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 28 millimeters and lasted approximately 9 minutes and 12 seconds. A subsequent eruption at 8:34 p.m. local time generated another ash column, this one reaching up to one kilometer high, with a duration of 127 seconds.
In response to the increased activity and potential hazards, including ashfall, Chaniago advised the local population to wear protective masks and goggles. On May 16, 2024, the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources raised Mount Ibu's alert status from Level III (alert) to Level IV (caution) due to escalating seismic activity and the frequency of ash emissions.
Authorities have since warned communities and tourists to avoid climbing or conducting any activities within a four-kilometer radius of the volcano, and a sector extending seven kilometers from the northern direction of the crater opening. Mount Ibu, a strato-type volcano standing 1,340 meters above sea level, is located in the Ibu sub-district, West Halmahera district of North Maluku province.