Stromboli eruption causes tidal wave in southern Italy - authorities raise alert level

Created: 05/12/2022 15:01

By: Kathrin Reikowski

Stromboli south of Sicily is active: after a seaquake, ash and lava poured into the sea on Sunday.

A higher warning level applies on Monday.

Munich – The Stromboli south of Sicily is active: since a seaquake on Sunday, the volcano has been spewing lava and ash that have poured into the sea.

A thick column of smoke over Stromboli - that's "the symbol of a winter Sunday," says RAI, the public broadcaster in Italy.

It was on that winter Sunday on the island of Stromboli that a seaquake, a volcanic eruption and a tidal wave came together.

In the evening, the authorities increased the alert level from yellow to orange.

The Italian civil defense issued the second highest alarm.

As RAI further reports, several explosions were registered around 3 p.m.

They caused parts of the crater rim to collapse.

Parts of the crater rim ended up in the sea because the volcanic slopes drop steeply towards the sea.

And there, which led to the collapse of part of the rim of the crater;

Rock material that, as soon as it landed in the water, threw up a wave about five feet high and set off the alarm sirens. 

Alarm sirens on the island after Stromboli erupted – tidal wave threatened

A seaquake of magnitude 4.6 had previously occurred south of Stromboli in the Mediterranean, according to the National Institute of Geology and Volcanology (INGV).

Civil protection warned of a 1.5 meter high wave after the volcanic eruption, and the authorities on the island alerted the population with alarm sirens.

But the alarm remained: According to the head of civil protection, no or only slight damage was caused.

There were no injuries.

Stromboli erupts regularly - alert level warns population

More than 920 meters high, Stromboli is a very active volcano and erupts regularly.

Every year, many tourists travel from the mainland or from Sicily across the sea to Stromboli to see the not entirely harmless natural spectacle.

With the orange warning level, the authorities have the opportunity to monitor volcanic activity more closely.

The population is asked to inform themselves and to follow the instructions of the local civil protection on the volcanic island.