Japan's Suwanosejima volcano has erupted, spewing lava and sending a massive cloud of ash into the blue sky.

Officials warned that a large amount of ash was expected to fall on the village of Toshima following Thursday morning's eruption.

The volcano erupted just after 11am local time as experts monitored a burst of recent activity on the remote island.

Located at 2,621ft above sea level, it is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, with dozens of eruptions occurring every year.

Despite the activity, it has been home to about 50 people for years and has a small airport.

The eruption happened just after 11am local time

The volcano has been in a state of "near-continuous strombolian-type eruption" since 1949, according to Volcano Discovery.

It is set in Japan's Ryuku Islands and forms the entire spindle-shaped island.

Occasional periods of inactivity have become more frequent since 1996, Volcano Discovery added.

However, Suwanosejima remains one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

Thursday's eruption came about a month after officials increased the warning level to three.

The warning level was raised following a spike in activity and eruptions.

The village of Toshima, which is about two miles from the Otake and Mitake craters, was put on alert.

A one-mile exclusion zone had been set up around the area.

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