The alert level at the Colima Volcano has been raised to yellow after increased activity, state officials said, warning area residents to be aware of the procedures for evacuation.

Security officials said a moderate explosion and growth of the crater dome with lava flow is one scenario that could be expected in the short term.

Experts monitoring the active volcano have also detected a significant increase in volcano seismic activity.

The exclusion zone around the volcano has been raised to eight kilometers.

State and federal Civil Protection agencies advised residents to remain calm, respect the exclusion zone and inform themselves about evacuation procedures.

The yellow alert level is three of four used to describe the volcano’s status and denotes “low-magnitude activity.”

Located in the states of Colima and Jalisco, the Volcano of Fire, as it is also known, is one of 16 world volcanoes with a history of large, destructive eruptions and proximity to populated areas.

It lies towards the western end of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, which covers central-southern Mexico. The Popocatépetl volcano is found on the eastern half of the belt.

Both volcanoes have seen increased activity recently. In the case of Popocatépetl, experts have confirmed that the nature of its explosions has changed since the September 2017 earthquakes. They have forecast that activity over the next few months could be moderate to intense.

Source: Milenio (sp)