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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG) in Yogyakarta stated that Mount Merapi released at least three hot clouds during the week of May 8 to 14, 2026. "The eruptive activity of the hot clouds is entirely directed towards the upstream of Kali Krasak with a maximum sliding distance of 2,000 meters," said the Head of BPPTKG, Agus Budi Santoso, on Friday, 15th May 2026.
Budi stated that the status of this active volcano's activity is still maintained at the Alert level III due to the continuous magma supply from the mountain's interior.
Agus explained that the phenomenon of hot clouds has become one of the main focuses in the current potential hazards, aside from the nearly daily intense lava avalanches. "Monitoring data shows that the magma supply is still ongoing, which can trigger the occurrence of hot cloud avalanches in the potential hazard area," said Agus.
BPPTKG also noted significant changes in the thermal and morphological conditions of Mount Merapi's lava dome based on the latest monitoring results from May 8 to 14, 2026. Data obtained from a drone aerial survey on May 7 showed increased concentrated heat activity in the southwest lava dome sector.
The temperature on the southwest dome was recorded at 243 degrees Celsius. This figure indicates an increase of 24.4 degrees Celsius compared to the previous period's measurement. On the other hand, the temperature in the central dome decreased by 4.9 degrees Celsius, reaching 213.7 degrees Celsius.
In addition to temperature aspects, aerial photo analysis showed changes in the volume of dome structures. Due to ongoing avalanche activities, the volume of the southwest dome decreased by approximately 10,800 cubic meters, dropping to 4,026,700 cubic meters.
Meanwhile, the central Merapi dome is reportedly stable, maintaining a consistent volume of 2,368,800 cubic meters. "Changes in the lava dome are closely related to the high potential for eruptive activity," said Agus.
Dozens of lava avalanches from unstable dome materials were observed flowing into various river streams. The most intense avalanches occurred upstream of the Kali Krasak river, with 67 avalanches recorded during the week. Throughout this period, seismic networks recorded three instances of hot cloud avalanche earthquakes alongside other seismic activity, including 43 shallow volcanic earthquakes and 768 avalanche earthquakes.
Agus emphasized the importance of extra caution for residents living around the slopes of Merapi, especially during extreme weather conditions. BPPTKG instructed that there should be no human activity in any form in areas designated as potential hazard zones to avoid the risk of casualties.
Read: Indonesia's Mount Merapi Erupts with Three Hot Clouds in One Morning
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