The Mount Merapi volcano in Indonesia erupted today (June 21) spewing ash and hot gas as high as six kilometres into the sky.

Footage shows terrified motorists battling through the clouds.

Violent rumbling was heard from villagers several miles away as the dark grey ash cloud loomed over homes.

The country's Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Centre did not raise Merapi's alert status, which already was at the third-highest level since it began erupting last August.

They said the volcano Mount Merapi erupted three times -- at 9:13am, 9:25am and 09:27am western Indonesia time.

Head of the Yogyakarta Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG), Hanik Humaida, said: ''The ash column was observed to be gray with a thick intensity leaning towards the west. This eruption was recorded on a seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 75 mm and a duration of 5 minutes 28 seconds.''

Mount Merapi is Indonesia's most volatile volcano and is located on the main island of Java.