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HIGHLIGHTS
• On 26 June, the Ulawun volcano in East New Britain erupted and began emitting ash plumes up to 20,000 metres.
• About 12,000 people in West New Britain and 4,000 people in East New Britain have been affected by the eruption. About 6,800 people have evacuated and are in two care centres in West New Britain.
• The West New Britain provincial authorities are assessing the affected area. The volcanic activity is subsiding, and the alert level is expected to be lowered from level 2 to 1.
SITUATION OVERVIEW
On 26 June, the Ulawun volcano, about 130 km (81 miles) southwest of the township of Rabaul, East New Britain, began emitting ash plumes and erupted at least once, sending ash up to 20,000 meters (66,000 feet). An ash cloud developed across the western and southern parts of New Britain island, spreading across the mainland and toward the Solomon Islands before quickly dissipating. Air Niugini has cancelled flights to Hoskins Airport, the nearest airport to the affected area, until it can assess when it may resume flights.
As of 27 June, the Rabaul Volcanological Observatory reported that volcanic activity is subsiding, and described the event as similar to previous eruptions in 1980, 2000 and 2001, being powerful but brief, with a low volume of ash dispersed over a broad area. The ash is expected to disperse to the west and southwest of the volcano along coastal areas due to wind patterns. Structural damage outside the immediate vicinity of the volcano would likely be minimal. The Pacific Disaster Center also reports that the volcanic ash cloud is dissipating rapidly and is expected to completely dissipate by 20:00 local time. The alert level is expected to be reduced from 2 to 1 following an assessment by the observatory.
Pyroclastic flows on the north side of the volcano have been reported, but it is unclear how far down the slope they go, or whether road access is restricted by the debris. In the event that there are heavy rains in the coming weeks and months, lahar mudflows could be triggered along existing waterways along the slopes of the volcano. At present, 6,851 people in West New Britain have left their homes and are staying in two care centres just south of Ulamona, according to the National Disaster Centre. One is located in the village of Kabaya, and the other is in Barema. There could be other informal displacement sites that have not been identified yet. Additionally, the provincial disaster authorities in East and West New Britain provinces indicate about 4,000 and 12,000 people, respectively, are affected by the eruption.