Hawaii volcano Kilauea erupts after nearly two months of quiet

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano, one of the world's most active, erupted again, spewing fountains of lava more than 80 feet high. The volcano began erupting at around 3:15 pm local time, the US geological survey's (USGS) Hawaiian volcano observatory said. "The eruption was preceded by a period of strong seismicity and rapid uplift of the summit," it said. This marks the third time the volcano has erupted this year, after bursting in January and June.

Hawaii Kilauea Volcano: An eruption takes place on the summit of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii.(AP)

A USGS livestream from the rim of the caldera showed fountains of lava erupting from multiple fissures in the crater.

"Lava fountain heights have decreased since the eruption onset, but remain up to about 20-25 meters (65-82 feet) high," the volcano observatory said raising the volcano's alert status from "watch" to “warning”. The aviation alert was increased to red.