A Japan volcano can be seen erupting in a close-up video taken from a drone that was flown over the Mount Shinmoedake by storm chaser James Reynolds on Thursday.
The breathtaking footage captured by a DJI Mavic Pro shows massive walls of ash and smoke rising from the 4,662-foot-high volcano, which has been dormant for six years, Mashable noted.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency reported that Mount Shinmoe first erupted early Wednesday and continued through to Thursday, when a plume of smoke rising about 6,500 feet above the crater, could be seen, according to The Japan Times.
This prompted the agency to raise its volcanic alert level to three on a scale of five and restricting access to the mountain.
This did not deter Reynolds from getting up close to the site.
Replying to comments on his post on Twitter, the storm chaser said he managed to launch the drone about 1.5 miles away from the volcano.
"I've waited years to shoot this kind of video," he added.
Describing the scene, The Japan Times noted that ash fall could be seen in at least three surrounding cities and a town in Miyazaki.
ABC News reported that elementary school students made their way to school wearing helmets and masks as the volcano rumbled to life.
The news channel further stated that ash and volcanic rocks emissions were expected for the rest of Friday.
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