The weather agency Aug. 15 raised its alert level for the Sakurajima volcano in southwestern Japan to 4 on a 5-point scale, the highest ever for the mountain, with the possibility growing of a major eruption there.
The level 4 alert calls for evacuation preparations, and an evacuation advisory has been issued for parts of the surrounding area.
Frequent earthquakes from the island volcano near Kagoshima City in Kagoshima Prefecture have been recorded since early Aug. 15, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. (Kyodo)
気象庁は8月15日、桜島で大規模な噴火が起きる危険性が高まったとして、警戒レベルを4に引き上げた。桜島では同日朝から島内を震源とする地震が多数観測された。
The Japan Times ST: August 28, 2015