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Smoke filled the Hawaiian night sky on Sunday, glowing a bright red — signaling the eruption of the world’s largest active volcano.
Mauna Loa, which means «long mountain» in Hawaiian, exploded at approximately 11:30 p.m. local time on Sunday. It had been showing signs of unrest since September, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The federal agency designated the volcano alert level as «warning,» meaning «hazardous eruption is imminent, underway or suspected.»
As of Monday morning there had been no calls for evacuation. The mayor of Hawaii County, Mitch Roth, said the eruption does not appear to be threatening any downslope communities. But as a precaution, the Hawaii government opened shelters for those who chose to evacuate at the Old Kona Airport in Kailua-Kona and Ka’u gym in Pahala.Mauna Loa is taller than Mount Everest
Mauna Loa is one of 15 volcanoes located in the eight main Hawaiian islands.
