Merapi Developments

 The phase of the intense activity has been continuing over the past two weeks.

Near-frequent glowing lava blocks continue to regularly detach from the southwestern lava dome and tumble down along the main sliding southwestern slope, descending to the base of the edifice and reaching approx. 2 km length. By today, the main sliding pathway has branched off into another sliding arm in the south direction as glowing rock falls roll down over it. From time to time, phoenix clouds are being formed - lifted ash plumes rising above pyroclastic torrent as descending the flank.

Update Mar29:

Andi, our expedition guide and leader for VolcanoDiscovery Indonesia, is still on-site and provides first-hand information about the intense activity at Merapi.
It seems that the situation has been gradually worsening over the past 24 hours as a number of glowing rock falls emanating from the southwestern lava dome has picked up. This presumably reflects continuing, pressurized, i.e. gas-rich magma under the surface which accumulates into the dome, meaning more and more unstable hot lava material is prone to collapse into incandescent lava blocks. Pyroclastic flows continue to tumble down along the southwestern, occasionally southern slope, reaching length at about 2 km from the summit.