La Soufriere volcano is reportedly releasing more than 1,000 tonnes of sulphur dioxide gas- s02, into the atmosphere daily. This was revealed by lead scientist monitoring La Soufriere volcano Dr. Roderick Stewart who said that measurements of the gas were recorded three days ago, and while there have been no explosions for more than two weeks, the gases indicate that the volcano is still in a state of unrest.
Dr. Stewart said that they cannot rule out the possibility of an explosion within a 24 hour period. He added that there needs to be further analysis of the crater to better understand what is taking place. However, the seismologist maintains that for the time being, it is safe for persons to return to the orange zone, once authorised.
More Lahars After Rains
Lahars or mudflows were observed coming down from the flanks of La Soufriere volcano on April 4th following pockets of light to moderate showers. Lead scientist monitoring the volcano, seismologist Dr. Roderick Stewart reported that the lahars which were strongest between 11am to 12 noon , came down with destructive materials. He said the monitoring team was on the ground and experienced the lahars first hand.
Rivers were flooded in the north including the Rabacca river. In a press release the National Emergency Management Organization-NEMO said stations at Jennings Valley, South Rivers and Majorca recorded over an inch of rainfall over a six (6) hour period and soils were still saturated from the heavy rainfall event on Thursday April 29th, 2021.
