The Civil Protection Department has ordered the change of alert for the Stromboli volcano from the yellow to orange level, "in the light of the assessments that emerged during today's meeting with the Competence Centers and the Civil Protection Department of the Sicilian Region".
The raising of the alert determines the strengthening of the volcano monitoring system and the information link between the scientific community and the other components and operational structures of the National Civil Protection Service.
The Department explains that "a situation of potential disequilibrium of the volcano persists. Therefore, the population on the island is invited to keep themselves informed and to strictly follow the indications provided by the local civil protection authorities".
Stromboli, eruption in progress: lava flow on the Sciara
The meeting, indicates the Civil Protection, was convened "in the light of the current activities of the volcano, or the beginning of an eruptive phase with a pyroclastic flow from the North crater area that quickly traveled the Sciara del Fuoco reaching the sea, generating a partial collapse of the crater terrace followed by a remarkable lava overflow ".
The passage of the alert level is based on the reports of phenomenologies and on the hazard assessments made available by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (Etneo Observatory, Vesuvian Observatory and Palermo Section), the Cnr-Irea and the Universities of Florence, Palermo , Pisa and Turin.
The Department shares the information resulting from the strengthening of monitoring with the civil protection structure of the Sicily Region which,
especially in relation to local impact scenarios, it "alerts territorial civil protection structures and adopts any measures in response to emergency situations".
The mayor of Lipari, who took part in the meeting, will be constantly informed on the evolution of the situation in order to guarantee constant and correct information to the population.