--- title: "Kīlauea Status: Live Updates, Webcams & Alert Level | High-End Hawaii" description: "Live Kīlauea volcano status with the official USGS alert level, aviation color code, and three 24/7 webcams from the summit. Updated every hour." lang: en json-ld: | { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://highendhawaii.com/kilauea-status#webpage", "name": "Kīlauea Status: Live Updates, Webcams & Alert Level", "url": "https://highendhawaii.com/kilauea-status", "description": "Live Kīlauea volcano status, official USGS alert level, aviation color code, and three live webcams from the summit – updated every hour.", "about": { "@type": "Place", "name": "Kīlauea Volcano", "containedInPlace": { "@type": "Place", "name": "Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park" } }, "dateModified": "2026-08-25T22:23:33+00:00" }, { "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is a Kīlauea eruption episode?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Since late 2024, Kīlauea has been erupting in distinct bursts called episodes. Each episode is a period of active lava fountaining inside Halemaʻumaʻu crater that typically lasts several hours to a couple of days, separated by multi-day pauses of little or no surface lava. USGS counts and numbers each episode (Episode 1, Episode 2, and so on) – when the page above says 'paused between episodes,' it means the eruption is ongoing but the volcano is currently in one of those quiet windows between bursts." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How often is the status on this page updated?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The live status, alert level, and aviation color code on this page are pulled directly from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory public API and refreshed automatically every hour. The most recent update timestamp is shown inside the status panel above. For breaking changes, the USGS volcano-updates page and HVO's own social feeds will always post first." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What's the difference between the alert level and the aviation color code?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The Volcano Alert Level (Normal, Advisory, Watch, Warning) describes ground-based risk for people on or near the volcano. The Aviation Color Code (Green, Yellow, Orange, Red) describes risk to aircraft from ash and gas in the sky. USGS publishes both for every U.S. volcano. Kīlauea typically sits at Watch / Orange during its current eruption cycle because of summit activity, even when lava is not currently flowing." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I tell from this page when the next episode will start?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No – and neither can anyone else. USGS scientists watch tremor, ground tilt, and gas emissions for clues, but the exact start of the next fountaining episode is not predictable hours or days in advance. The honest planning answer: if you have any flexibility, build at least two evenings at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park into your Big Island itinerary so you can react to what the volcano is actually doing." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Where are the live webcams pointing?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The three USGS streams embedded above cover the summit area: the active vents inside Halemaʻumaʻu crater and the wider summit caldera. They're broadcast publicly by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory 24 hours a day. The lava glow is most visible at night; during the day you'll mostly see steam, gas plumes, and the dark crater floor." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does Kīlauea activity affect flights to Hawaiʻi?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Rarely, and usually not at the current Orange aviation code. Modern Kīlauea eruptions produce very little ash compared to explosive volcanoes. The aviation code would have to climb to Red – meaning a major ash-producing event – before flights to Kona (KOA), Hilo (ITO), or Honolulu (HNL) would see real disruption. The status above shows the current aviation code so you can sanity-check." } } ] } ] } --- Kīlauea erupting now – lava is flowing [Book tour](/tours/big-island/volcano)[Live status](/kilauea-status) [![High-End Hawaii - Luxury Travel Experiences](/assets/logo-gold-D3dMhKof.png)](/) [Home](/) Tours [Guides](/guides)[Services](/services)[About](/about)[Contact](/contact) [Reserve Now](/tours/big-island) Live Status · Updated August 25, 2026 # Kīlauea status, live from the summit A single-page answer to "what is Kīlauea doing right now?" – current eruption state, official USGS alert level, aviation color code, and three live webcams from inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Pulled directly from the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and refreshed every hour. Live Kīlauea Status Last checked Aug 25, 2026, 1:15 PM HST Is Kīlauea erupting? ## Yes – lava is flowing right now You can see active lava at Kīlauea today. An eruption is actively underway at the summit. Lava is most visible after dark from the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park overlooks. Conditions can change quickly – always follow USGS and Park guidance. What USGS says Latest USGS notice issued Aug 25, 2026, 12:23 PM HST Official alert level: Watch · Aviation alert (for pilots): Orange Location Halemaʻumaʻu crater, Kīlauea summit [View official USGS update](https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/volcano-updates) Free lava alert ### Get a text the moment Kīlauea starts flowing One text from us the instant USGS confirms lava is on the surface. [Full guide: planning a visit around Kīlauea](/guides/is-kilauea-erupting) ## Live Kīlauea webcams Official USGS live streams from the summit. Lava is most visible after dark. ### Kīlauea summit · Halemaʻumaʻu crater USGS live view of the summit caldera and active vent area. ### Kīlauea summit · wide angle Wide thermal/visual view of the eruption zone, updated 24/7. ### Kīlauea · alternate vent view Secondary USGS live stream focused on the active vents. ## What does the current status actually mean? Since December 2024, Kīlauea has been in an ongoing summit eruption made up of distinct **episodes**. An episode is a burst of active lava fountaining inside Halemaʻumaʻu crater that usually lasts several hours to a couple of days, followed by a multi-day pause of little or no visible lava. USGS numbers each one – Episode 1, Episode 2, and so on – and the pattern has been roughly one new episode every one to two weeks. When the panel above says _"not flowing right now"_, Kīlauea is in one of those between-episode pauses. The eruption hasn't ended; the next episode could start within days. The summit glow inside the crater is often still visible at night even during a pause. The **Watch** alert level and **Orange** aviation color code reflect the ongoing eruption as a whole, not whether lava is actively fountaining in this exact hour. That's why those values rarely change day-to-day – they're describing the longer state of the volcano, while the eruption-activity line above describes what's happening right now. ## Quick answers about the live status ### What is a Kīlauea eruption episode? + Since late 2024, Kīlauea has been erupting in distinct bursts called episodes. Each episode is a period of active lava fountaining inside Halemaʻumaʻu crater that typically lasts several hours to a couple of days, separated by multi-day pauses of little or no surface lava. USGS counts and numbers each episode (Episode 1, Episode 2, and so on) – when the page above says 'paused between episodes,' it means the eruption is ongoing but the volcano is currently in one of those quiet windows between bursts. ### How often is the status on this page updated? + The live status, alert level, and aviation color code on this page are pulled directly from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory public API and refreshed automatically every hour. The most recent update timestamp is shown inside the status panel above. For breaking changes, the USGS volcano-updates page and HVO's own social feeds will always post first. ### What's the difference between the alert level and the aviation color code? + The Volcano Alert Level (Normal, Advisory, Watch, Warning) describes ground-based risk for people on or near the volcano. The Aviation Color Code (Green, Yellow, Orange, Red) describes risk to aircraft from ash and gas in the sky. USGS publishes both for every U.S. volcano. Kīlauea typically sits at Watch / Orange during its current eruption cycle because of summit activity, even when lava is not currently flowing. ### Can I tell from this page when the next episode will start? + No – and neither can anyone else. USGS scientists watch tremor, ground tilt, and gas emissions for clues, but the exact start of the next fountaining episode is not predictable hours or days in advance. The honest planning answer: if you have any flexibility, build at least two evenings at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park into your Big Island itinerary so you can react to what the volcano is actually doing. ### Where are the live webcams pointing? + The three USGS streams embedded above cover the summit area: the active vents inside Halemaʻumaʻu crater and the wider summit caldera. They're broadcast publicly by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory 24 hours a day. The lava glow is most visible at night; during the day you'll mostly see steam, gas plumes, and the dark crater floor. ### Does Kīlauea activity affect flights to Hawaiʻi? + Rarely, and usually not at the current Orange aviation code. Modern Kīlauea eruptions produce very little ash compared to explosive volcanoes. The aviation code would have to climb to Red – meaning a major ash-producing event – before flights to Kona (KOA), Hilo (ITO), or Honolulu (HNL) would see real disruption. The status above shows the current aviation code so you can sanity-check. Planning a visit? ## Read the full Kīlauea guide This page is the live data feed. The guide covers what an eruption at Kīlauea actually looks like in 2026, the best overlooks for viewing, how to handle vog and night driving, and how a private chauffeured day from Kona compares to self-driving. [Open the Kīlauea guide](/guides/is-kilauea-erupting) Data source: [USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory](https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/volcano-updates). 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