November 23, 2025 Eruption of Hayli Gubbi

An ash plume from the first recorded explosive eruption at Hayli Gubbi was detected in satellite data at around 1130 on 23 November. According to a news report, residents described hearing a loud sound and feeling a shock wave; an explosion was heard 50 km from Semera (190 km S of Hayli Gubbi). Ash plumes quickly rose to 13.7 km (45,000 ft) a.s.l., later reaching as high as 15.2 km (50,000 ft) a.s.l. At around 1400 satellite data showed that the plume was spreading into the upper troposphere and contained approximately 220,000 tons of sulfur dioxide. A sequence of satellite images showed the higher ash plume drifting ENE. The images also showed a lower altitude cloud of pyroclastic material moving to the N about 130 km and spreading about 60 km laterally. That plume appeared to be on or low to the ground, and followed terrain, suggesting that it was the dilute part of a pyroclastic density current. Photos included in news reports showed ash plumes rising from the flat ground at some distance from the crater, consistent with material rising from a PDC, although the exact location of the photos was unknown. News reports noted that many surrounding villages, including Afdera (28 km W), were covered in ashfall; no deaths were reported. Several flights were cancelled or diverted across various countries in the region. (reference #14209)

A local administrator, Mohammed Seid, said there were no casualties, but the eruption could have economic implications for the local community of livestock herders. Seid told The Associated Press that there was no previous record of an eruption by the Hayli Gubbi volcano, and that he fears for the livelihoods of residents. “While no human lives and livestock have been lost so far, many villages have been covered in ash and as a result their animals have little to eat,” he said. (reference #14210)