At approximately 0520 local time on 3 March 2020 (2220 UTC on 2 March), Mount Merapi — located about 30 km (20 mi) north of Yogyakarta in West Java province — erupted, sending a column of ash about 6 km into the air. The ash then drifted into nearby communities located within a 10-km radius. Authorities temporarily suspended flight operations at Adisumarmo International Airport (WAHQ/SOC) from 0910-1130 local time as a precaution. Officials advised the public to avoid the existing 3 km exclusion zone around the volcano, but did not alter the volcano’s alert status, which remains at Level 2, the second lowest on a four-tier scale.