Mount Semeru Erupts Again This Afternoon (Friday, March 20, 2026)

Mount Semeru in East Java erupted again on Friday (March 20, 2026) at 17:49 WIB. In the past week, Mount Semeru has erupted 47 times.

Quoting eruption information from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) via the MAGMA Indonesia application, the height of the observed ash column is approximately 600 meters above the peak or 4,276 meters above sea level.

The ash column is observed to be white to gray with moderate intensity towards the southwest. The eruption of Mount Semeru is still ongoing when this report was made.

(Read: Indication of Forest Fire Area in East Kalimantan until June 2025)

According to the MAGMA Indonesia volcanic activity report, the activity level of Mount Semeru is at Level III (Alert). Earthquake observations on March 20, 2026 from 06:00-12:00 WIB showed 17 eruption/explosion earthquakes with an amplitude of 15-22 millimeters and a duration of 55-142 seconds.

Then, 4 emission earthquakes with an amplitude of 4-5 millimeters and a duration of 37-101 seconds, as well as 1 deep volcanic earthquake with an amplitude of 6 millimeters, s-p 2.2 seconds and a duration of 25 seconds.

PVMBG advises against carrying out any activities in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan, within 13 kilometers of the peak (eruption center). Outside this distance, residents should not carry out activities within 500 meters of the riverbank along Besuk Kobokan due to the potential for being affected by the expansion of hot clouds and lava flows up to 17 kilometers from the peak.

Throughout 2026, MAGMA Indonesia has recorded 1,105 volcanic eruptions across Indonesia. Mount Semeru in East Java has the most eruptions with 596 explosions.

(Read: BNPB Records 52 Natural Disasters in Mid-August 2023, Most are Forest Fires)