Elevated Temperatures Detected at La Soufrière Volcano in St Vincent

The National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) has issued a warning advising against visits to La Soufrière volcano due to elevated temperatures detected in the area.

These thermal anomalies could signal potential risks, such as a sulphur fire in the crater, a small phreatic (steam) eruption exposing hot rocks, or the beginning of new lava extrusion. La Soufrière has a history of explosive eruptions, with its most recent major event occurring on April 9, 2021, after a phase of effusive activity. This volcano has erupted twice in the past four decades, with significant eruptions in 1979 and 1902.

The latest temperature spike was detected by the NASA FIRMS hot spot detection system at the summit of the 4,000-foot volcano. NEMO strongly advises the public to stay away from the area until further updates are provided. “According to information received from the Seismic Research Centre at 2:38 pm (local time) today a low thermal anomaly (temperatures above existing background/base levels) was detected at the summit of the La Soufriere volcano by the NASA FIRMS hot spot detection system on Sunday October 6, 2024,” NEMO said in a statement.