Civil Protection: Yellow Alert Issued for Mount Etna

The Civil Protection Department has raised the alert level for Mount Etna from green to yellow, entering a "pre-alarm" phase and urging local civil protection authorities to implement appropriate operational procedures and risk mitigation measures, particularly in light of the possible presence of hikers at high altitudes.

A decision was made based on evaluations from a meeting with the Competence Centres and the Regional Civil Protection Department in Sicily. This meeting took place this afternoon after recent effusive activity was observed in the upper sector of the Valle del Leone and the high Valle del Bove, at an altitude of approximately 3,000 meters. This activity has been linked to a consistent increase in volcanic tremor observed over several days. Such a situation could lead to a swift escalation of activity toward more energetic phenomena.

The alert level changes are determined by reports of geological phenomena and hazard assessments from the Competence Centres, which for Etna are the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, which includes the Etna Observatory, the Vesuvius Observatory, and the Palermo Section, and the CNR-IREA Institute.

An increase in alert level leads to enhanced monitoring of the volcano and improved coordination of information between the scientific community and the various operational units of the National Civil Protection Service. The Civil Protection Department shares this information with the Regional Civil Protection Department in Sicily. Specifically, regarding local impact scenarios, the Regional Department notifies local civil protection organizations and implements necessary measures to respond to emergencies.

Regardless of the local volcanic activity, which can vary frequently, a state of heightened volcanic unrest continues to exist. Therefore, residents on the island are encouraged to stay informed and strictly follow the instructions given by the local civil protection authorities.