Stromboli volcano eruption – where is Stromboli and when did the volcano last erupt?

DRAMATIC pictures shared of the volcanic eruption from the island of Stromboli showing gigantic plumes of smoke filling the sky have left many people wondering about the active volcano.

Read on to find out where the island is and when it last erupted.

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Where is Stromboli?

Stromboli is a small island off the north coast of Sicily, Italy.

The island is home to one of three active volcanoes in Italy, with a population of just 500 people.

There are three villages on the island,  San Bartolo and San Vincenzo and Ginostra.

The island and its active volcano have become iconic in popular culture, with J.R.R Tolkein claiming he based the fictional volcano, Mount Doom of Mordor on Stromboli.

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When did the Stromboli volcano last erupt?

The volcano last erupted at the beginning of July 2019, killing a hiker and sending tourists fleeing into the sea.

The volcano is constantly active with minor eruptions making the island and its views of the glowing volcano a tourist hot-spot.

The volcano has been in continuous eruption for the past 2,000 years.

However, the volcanoes eruptions are mainly explosive - which means that lava can only be seen occasionally.

While the volcano usually just produces ash and smoke, some notable eruptions in 2002, 2003, 2007, 2013 saw bright orange lava pour from the volcano.

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Is it dangerous?

In July 2019 an eruption killed a hiker with fleeing tourists fleeing describing it as a "nuke-like" blast.

At the time of the explosion, Priest Giovanni Longo told local media: “It was like being in hell because of the rain of fire coming from the sky.”

British tourist Alana Elliot, 31, described the eruption as a "big mushroom cloud looked like a nuke" and started to panic when staff on the quiet cove.

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She added: "We realised it was a big deal when the locals started to freak out and were running for their lives."

At the time the UK’s FCO updated its advice for travel to the Mediterranean country saying: “If you’re in the area, you should follow the advice of local authorities.”

The warning was lifted in August 2019.

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