Mt Ruapehu remains at alert level 2 following weeks of high temperatures, but experts are predicting only minor eruptive activity from the volcano in the near future.
Mt Ruapehu has been active in recent weeks. Photo: Unsplash / David Calderwood
GNS Science said the Ruapehu crater lake temperature has peaked at 41°C in the last 12 days following weeks of temperatures around 36°C to 38°C.
Volcanologist Brad Scott said that within the next four weeks the most likely outcome is "minor eruptive activity" confined to the lake basin - or no eruption at all.
Scott said the next most likely scenario would be a larger eruption similar to the 2007 eruption, causing lahars in multiple catchments causing life-threatening hazards on the summit plateau and in valleys impacted by lahars.
He said tremor levels remained high but had declined in the past week.