"The lava flows are only around 100 meters and so we do not yet see any need to raise the alert status," said Triyani, an expert at the volcanology office in Yogyakarta, 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) south of the volcano.

She said that the frequency of the lava flows from a new dome at the peak of the 2,914-meter (9,560-foot) volcano remained high.

"In the first six hours of Sunday, we have registered 26 lava outflows," Triyani said.

Authorities three weeks ago declared a "standby" alert status on Merapi, one level below that which would require a mandatory evacuation for more than 41,000 people according to local officials.

More than 5,000 people have fled their homes around the volcano so far.

In its last large eruption in 1994, heat clouds known locally as "shaggy goats" careened down the volcano at more than 100 kilometres (60 miles) per hour, reaching temperatures of 600 degrees Celsius (1,100 degrees Fahrenheit).

The clouds killed some 66 people.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" noted for its volcanic and seismic activity. The country has more than 100 active volcanoes.

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