Kīlauea is back on scientists’ radar in a big way. The volcano’s Alert Level was bumped up to WATCH and the Aviation Color Code to ORANGE on Tuesday morning after renewed summit activity inside Halemaʻumaʻu, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Cameras and instruments picked up lava overflows and summit inflation, raising the odds of a short fountaining episode with localized ash or tephra.
A Volcano Activity Notification posted in the USGS Hazard Notification System shows that the upgrade was issued at 20:48:08 UTC (10:48 a.m. HST) on July 28, 2026, according to USGS Volcano Notifications. The Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency echoed the update on X for state and local partners; that post is available from Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency.
Why Scientists Raised the Alert
In a brief observatory message, HVO reported that “the north vent has been continuously overflowing since 10:22 am HST,” noting that the overflow is “being fed by a small dome fountain” and that “the summit continues to inflate at this time.” That combination of steady overflow and renewed inflation is exactly the sort of pattern that pushes HVO to shift Kīlauea from ADVISORY to WATCH.
For those who like to follow every twist in the timeline, HVO is posting its short-form updates with the full wording and sequence of observations at HVO observatory messages.
What Watch and Orange Mean
The Watch/Orange combo signals heightened unrest and a higher chance of eruptive activity that could send ash, Pele’s hair or other tephra downwind. Those materials can affect air quality, water catchment systems and visibility, which is why local agencies spend so much time drilling on ash-fall basics.
County guidance and hazard planning documents spell out the likely impacts in more detail, along with suggested precautions for communities near the summit and downwind. For a deeper dive, see the County of Hawaiʻi Volcanic Risk Assessment.
Local Response and Safety Steps
Hawaii County Civil Defense has previously urged residents downwind of the summit to disconnect rain-catchment intakes, stay indoors during ashfall and follow all road and park closures. Local outlets have been sharing Civil Defense radio messages with the same steady drumbeat of advice.
Big Island Video News has been pulling together those messages and situational updates, while the county’s active alerts dashboard, available via Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense, remains the go-to spot for current official instructions.
HVO is expected to post additional short messages and webcam snapshots as activity ramps up or quiets down. Officials are urging anyone with respiratory sensitivities to keep an eye on updates from HVO, Hawaii County Civil Defense and HI‑EMA. For now, the shift to WATCH/ORANGE is a clear signal to stay tuned and be ready to follow standard ash-fall precautions if they are called for.
