Mt Tongariro update

There was a brief eruption from Mt Tongariro in the central North Island just before midnight last night (7 August), New Zealand time.

It is the first eruption from the mountain since 1897. There have been no further eruptions since midnight.
The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management (MCDEM) is continuing to assess information with the assistance of government scientific advisors.

At 10:30am 7 August NZ time the MCDEM confirmed that some ash has fallen locally around the mountain. The main ash cloud is being blown east, across a mostly unpopulated area.

All major roads in the central North Island are open, as are the two ski fields on Mt Ruapehu, Whakapapa and Turoa, which lie south of Mt Tongariro.

As a precaution, domestic air flights to and from airports east of Mt Tongariro have been delayed or cancelled. However, there has been no impact on international flights and flights between main North Island centres of Auckland and Wellington have not been affected.

For more information check the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management (MCDEM) website here.