October 7, 2024 – The National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) is strongly advising the public to avoid visiting the La Soufrière volcano due to excessive heat detected at the summit. A low thermal anomaly (temperatures above normal background levels) was identified by the NASA FIRMS hot spot detection system on Sunday, October 6, 2024, and remains ongoing.
This heat could be associated with:
A sulphur fire within the crater,
A small phreatic (steam) eruption exposing hot underlying rocks, or
The possible start of new lava extrusion.
The NEMO Soufrière Monitoring Team is currently analyzing multigas data collected on October 4, 2024, with further reconnaissance along the West Coast underway today. Additional updates will be shared once the data has been fully analyzed.
Although the volcano remains at Green Alert Level, meaning it is quiet with no unusual seismic or fumarolic activity observed, the public is strongly discouraged from attempting to visit the area. The La Soufrière Trail remains closed, and unauthorized access is strictly prohibited for safety reasons.
Stay tuned for further updates from NEMO.
Issued by:
National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO)
October 7, 2024