HONOLULU (KHON2) -- The ongoing eruption at Kīlauea’s Halemaʻumaʻu crater entered its 16th episode late Monday night. Lava began overflowing from the north vent at 10:57 p.m., following a period of spattering that began earlier in the day. The eruption's precursor activity started around 5:20 p.m., with weak spattering observed at the north vent. By 6 p.m., the spattering intensified, evolving into continuous low fountaining that reached heights of 15-30 feet. As the lava level rose, it eventually spilled over the vent cone and spread across the crater floor. This new episode follows a series of dramatic eruptions, including Episode 15, when lava fountains soared more than 1,000 feet into the air. Experts believe similar high fountains are likely to develop within 24 hours. Weak winds in the summit area may cause volcanic gases to linger around Kīlauea's summit, potentially affecting visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and nearby residents. Since December 2024, each eruption episode has lasted anywhere from 13 hours to eight days, with brief pauses in between. The current eruption episode is still unfolding, and scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) are closely monitoring the situation. The Kīlauea Volcano’s alert level remains at WATCH with an ORANGE Aviation Color Code. All volcanic activity is currently confined to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. For a timeline of eruption episodes since December 23, 2024, click here. For a livestream of Kīlauea click here and here. ...read more read less