HILO, Hawaii — The Kilauea volcano erupted from its summit on Thursday morning, spewing an ash plume that reached 30,000 feet above the island of Hawaii, the authorities said.

The eruption was the most forceful new explosion so far at Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Kilauea has already been triggering small earthquakes, creating gas-emitting fissures and releasing flows of lava that have destroyed dozens of homes this month.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory issued a “code red” warning that additional activity could be expected. “At any time, activity may again become more explosive, increasing the intensity of ash production and producing ballistic projectiles near the vent,” the observatory said.