There were few warning signs when Mount Tambora erupted on 10 April 1815. What people thought were the sounds of cannons were heard 1,000 miles away five days earlier.

The eruption happened at around 7pm, when three columns of flames reaching heights of 40km were first sighted. Two hundred million tonnes of sulphur dioxide and 100 cubic km of rock were released.

Sumbawa and islands up to 400 miles away were plunged into darkness. An hour-long whirlwind followed after, sweeping houses and people out to sea in a northwest direction. The seas themselves turned into 5m high tsunamis.

The blast’s volcanic explosivity index (VEI) was 7, classifying it as 'super-colossal'. Subsequent explosions persisted in a de-escalating manner over the next three months. The eruptions finally ceased on 15 July 1815.