BPPTKG Head Hanik Humaida noted in an official statement in Central Java on Monday that monitoring of the pyroclastic avalanche was conducted between 00:00 and 00:06 Western Indonesia Standard Time toward the upper reaches of Gendol River.
During that time, Indonesia's most active volcano also experienced three earthquake collisions of amplitudes of 5-20 mm and lasting between 58 and 64 seconds.
Visual observation did not show crater smoke. The wind blew weakly over the mountain towards the Northeast, with air temperatures of 18-21.4 degrees Celsius; air humidity, 68-92 percent; and air pressure, 568.2-708.3 mmHg.
The BPPTKG has, until now, maintained the status of Mount Merapi at Level II, or Alert, and has advised against conducting climbing activities apart from carrying out investigation and research on disaster mitigation.
The BPPTKG has called on residents to avoid conducting activities within a three-kilometer radius from the volcano's summit.
The BPPTKG has appealed to those living in proximity to the Gendol River channel to raise awareness on the extent to which hot clouds from Merapi will dissipate.
The community was also urged to not be incited by issues concerning the eruption of Mount Merapi, whose sources remain ambiguous and continue to adhere to directives of local government officials or directly pose any queries at the Mount Merapi Observation Post or the BPPTKG office, or via the BPPTKG social media platform. EDITED BY INE
Translator: Bambang Purwanto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
