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

Mount Semeru in East Java erupted again on Friday (March 20, 2026) at 12:52 WIB. In the past week, Mount Semeru has erupted 45 times.

Quoting eruption information from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) via the MAGMA Indonesia application, the height of the ash column observed is around None meters above the peak (None meters above sea level).

No eruption visuals were observed. The eruption of Mount Semeru was still ongoing when this report was made.

(Read: Bangladesh Has the World's Worst Air Quality, How About Indonesia?)

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

Then, 4 emission earthquakes with amplitudes of 4-5 millimeters and durations 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 any activities in the southeastern sector along the Besuk Kobokan, within 13 kilometers of the peak (eruption center). Outside that distance, residents are advised not to carry out activities within 500 meters of the riverbank along the 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 1,101 volcanic eruptions across Indonesia. Mount Semeru in East Java has the most eruptions with 594 events.

(Read: Warning, Jakarta's Air Quality is the World's Worst This Morning (Thursday, June 15, 2023))