PETALING JAYA, June 12 — The large clouds of gas and ash spewing from Mount Sinabung in western Indonesia are not a cause for concern in Malaysia due to the current monsoon season, according to the Meteorological Department.

National weather centre spokesman Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip based his assessment on similar volcanic activity on the mountain which took place at the same time last year.

“Due to the Southwest monsoon season, the wind is not strong enough to carry heavy ash particles towards Malaysia, in comparison with smoke from forest fires, which is very light,” he said.

“In the event the volcano erupts and ashes reach 30,000 feet to 40,000 feet, the wind at that altitude would carry the ashes towards the Indian Ocean.”

Hisham said based on the history of eruptions involving the 2,460m volcano, the chances of a large eruption affecting the country were very slim.

Referring to the eruption in February last year which killed 17 people in Indonesia, Hisham said the ashes did not even reach the Straits of Malacca.

On Wednesday, foreign media reported signs of activity from Mount Sinabung. Last week, the authorities had placed the area on the highest alert level and had evacuated 2,700 people from the nearby villages.

Located in North Sumatra’s Karo district, the volcano’s hot ash had made its way down the slope travelling a distance of 2.41 km from its mouth.

Indonesian volcanologist, Surono had called on villagers to distance themselves from the main danger zone extending 6.45km to the southeast of the crater.

He said the growing size of the lava dome was unstable with the threat of a more powerful eruption imminent.

Mount Sinabung has erupted from time to time since 2010 after remaining dormant for over 400 years.

The volcano, just 35km away from the Toba volcano, is one of 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia .

According to scientists, a super eruption from the Toba volcano 70,000 years ago had almost put mankind on the brink of extinction.