GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA – Last weekend, Guatemala’s Volcán de Fuego erupted for the third time this year, spewing ash 16,000 feet—more than three miles—into the air. The eruption reportedly finished Sunday morning after a paroxysm lasting 16 hours, leaving behind lava flows and loads of volcanic ash.
According to news source teleSUR, ash fell as far as 50 miles away from Fuego—blanketing Atitlan Lake, Chacacao, Mazatenango, Retalhuleu, El Palmar, and other many other locations as far as the nation’s capital Guatemala City, located some thirty miles East of the Volcano.
This was Volcán Fuego last Friday night. Notice the stars in the background, and imagine the sound these eruptions make! pic.twitter.com/gCMyS6wOsK
— Simon Dunbavand (@SimonDunbavand) April 1, 2017
The country’s national institute monitoring volcanic, seismic, and meteorological data, INSIVUMEH, reported that volcanic activity had calmed down by Sunday morning but noted that emergency responders should continue to take precautions in light of the risk of debris and volcanic matter flowing down the volcano.
The Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History’s Global Volcanism Program has described Volcán de Fuego as “one of Central America’s most active volcanoes” with “frequent vigorous historical eruptions” recorded since before Spanish colonization.
So far, there have been no reports of ash affecting growers in the region. AndNowUKnow will keep you up to date with the latest news as it occurs.
