Warning! Mount Semeru Erupts Again Tonight (Tuesday, March 17, 2026)

Mount Semeru in East Java erupted again on Tuesday (March 17, 2026) at 9:50 PM WIB. In the past week, Mount Semeru has erupted 27 times.

Quoting eruption information from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) via the MAGMA Indonesia application, the observed ash column height is approximately 700 meters above the peak or 4,376 meters above sea level.

The ash column was observed to be white to gray with moderate intensity heading north. The eruption of Mount Semeru was still ongoing when this report was made.

(Read: Floods and Forest Fires, the Most Common Disasters in Indonesia Throughout 2025)

According to the MAGMA Indonesia volcano activity report, the activity level of Mount Semeru is at Level III (Alert). Seismic observations on March 17, 2026, from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM WIB showed 20 eruption/explosion earthquakes with amplitudes of 12-22 millimeters and durations of 45-140 seconds. Additionally, there were 5 emission earthquakes with amplitudes of 2-4 millimeters and durations of 31-37 seconds.

PVMBG advises against any activities in the southeast sector along the Besuk Kobokan, within 13 kilometers of the peak (eruption center). Beyond that distance, residents are advised not to carry out activities within 500 meters of the riverbanks along the Besuk Kobokan due to the potential for being affected by expanding pyroclastic flows and lava flows up to 17 kilometers from the peak.

In 2026, MAGMA Indonesia has recorded 1,069 volcanic eruptions across Indonesia. Mount Semeru in East Java has the most eruptions with 576 events.

(Read: 175 Disaster Events in Indonesia as of Early 2026, Floods are the Most Common)