Anak Krakatau rumbles to life as lockdowns begin in Indonesia
By
Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Apr 11, 2020 3:37 PM EDT
On April 11, in Chelyabinsk, Russia, an abnormal but interesting way of disinfecting hit the streets: by using an aircraft engine.
After partial lockdowns went into effect in Indonesia to attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19, Anak Krakatau exploded into life Friday evening, local time.
The volcano, located in the Sunda Strait between the Indonesian Islands of Java and Sumatra, first erupted at 9:58 p.m., local time, on Friday, spewing ash and smoke about 200 m (650 feet). This eruption lasted about 12 seconds.
A second eruption was reported at about 10:35 p.m., local time. This stronger one lasted about 38 minutes and sent ash as high as 500 m (1,600 feet).
There are reports that a strong lava fountain was visible on nearby webcams.
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Winds generally out of the south helped to carry the ash northward to the smaller islands surrounding the volcano. A resident on Sebesi Island reported thick ash falling over his residence that was still there on Saturday morning.
While residents in Jakarta reported hearing a rumbling before the eruption, residents on the small islands around Anak Krakatau did not report hearing anything.
Some experts believe this noise was due to something unrelated to the eruption, another volcano expert suggests that citizens in the Greater Jakarta could be correct.
Mount Anak Krakatau volcano erupts as seen from a beach in Serang, Banten, Indonesia, April 11, 2020 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Muhammad Bagus Khoirunas via REUTERS
"The sound caused by the eruption could have echoed throughout Greater Jakarta as there was less activity and noise in the area as a result of large-scale social restrictions over COVID-19", volcanology expert Surono said.
Officials in the area have reported that volcanic activity has stopped for now, but the area remains on alert for any sudden increase.
Coastline communities were on standby to evacuate in the event that a tsunami threat was issued, but many residents along the coast of Lampung immediately moved to higher ground.
After a major eruption in 2018 caused the side of the volcano to slide into the ocean, triggering a landslide that killed 430 people. Another eruption followed in December of 2019.
Winds are forecast to be out of the southeast in the coming days and any ash from the volcano can be carried to islands to the north and northwest. Otherwise, daily showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop in areas across Indonesia.
Anak Krakatau, which translates to Child of Krakatau, has been slowly growing with each eruption in place of the infamous Krakatau. The violent eruption of Krakatau in 1883 destroyed the volcano and lead to a series of landslides that killed more than 36,000 people. This eruption sent enough ash into the atmosphere to lower the global temperature by 1 degree Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit).
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News / Severe Weather
Anak Krakatau rumbles to life as lockdowns begin in Indonesia
By Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Apr 11, 2020 3:37 PM EDT
On April 11, in Chelyabinsk, Russia, an abnormal but interesting way of disinfecting hit the streets: by using an aircraft engine.
After partial lockdowns went into effect in Indonesia to attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19, Anak Krakatau exploded into life Friday evening, local time.
The volcano, located in the Sunda Strait between the Indonesian Islands of Java and Sumatra, first erupted at 9:58 p.m., local time, on Friday, spewing ash and smoke about 200 m (650 feet). This eruption lasted about 12 seconds.
A second eruption was reported at about 10:35 p.m., local time. This stronger one lasted about 38 minutes and sent ash as high as 500 m (1,600 feet).
There are reports that a strong lava fountain was visible on nearby webcams.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Winds generally out of the south helped to carry the ash northward to the smaller islands surrounding the volcano. A resident on Sebesi Island reported thick ash falling over his residence that was still there on Saturday morning.
While residents in Jakarta reported hearing a rumbling before the eruption, residents on the small islands around Anak Krakatau did not report hearing anything.
Some experts believe this noise was due to something unrelated to the eruption, another volcano expert suggests that citizens in the Greater Jakarta could be correct.
Mount Anak Krakatau volcano erupts as seen from a beach in Serang, Banten, Indonesia, April 11, 2020 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Muhammad Bagus Khoirunas via REUTERS
"The sound caused by the eruption could have echoed throughout Greater Jakarta as there was less activity and noise in the area as a result of large-scale social restrictions over COVID-19", volcanology expert Surono said.
Officials in the area have reported that volcanic activity has stopped for now, but the area remains on alert for any sudden increase.
Coastline communities were on standby to evacuate in the event that a tsunami threat was issued, but many residents along the coast of Lampung immediately moved to higher ground.
After a major eruption in 2018 caused the side of the volcano to slide into the ocean, triggering a landslide that killed 430 people. Another eruption followed in December of 2019.
Winds are forecast to be out of the southeast in the coming days and any ash from the volcano can be carried to islands to the north and northwest. Otherwise, daily showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop in areas across Indonesia.
Anak Krakatau, which translates to Child of Krakatau, has been slowly growing with each eruption in place of the infamous Krakatau. The violent eruption of Krakatau in 1883 destroyed the volcano and lead to a series of landslides that killed more than 36,000 people. This eruption sent enough ash into the atmosphere to lower the global temperature by 1 degree Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit).
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