In brief
On Friday, a moderately explosive eruption from Mayon Volcano in the Albay province sent a 3,000‑meter ash plume toward the west‑southwest, prompting PHIVOLCS to raise the volcano’s alert level to 3. Residents within the 6‑km Permanent Danger Zone were urged to evacuate, and aviation authorities advised pilots to avoid the summit. PHIVOLCS warned that Mayon is now in a new phase of magmatic activity with increased chances of lava flows and pyroclastic density currents in the coming days and weeks.
On Friday, Mayon Volcano in Albay province, northern Philippines, erupted in a moderately explosive event that lasted roughly six minutes and sent ash to an altitude of 3,000 metres.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) raised the volcano’s alert level from 2 to 3, signalling heightened risks of lava flows and pyroclastic activity for the upper and middle slopes in the immediate days to weeks.
Eruption Details
According to PHIVOLCS, the eruption began at about 11:53 a.m. local time and produced a dense, rapidly ascending ash plume that drifted west and southwest with moderate winds.
The plume is expected to bring ashfall to communities in Daraga, Guinobatan, and adjacent municipalities of Albay.
Public Response and Safety Measures
PHIVOLCS urged residents within the 6‑kilometre Permanent Danger Zone to evacuate immediately. Pilots were advised to keep a safe distance from the summit to avoid flying too close to the ash plume.
The alert level 3 designation indicates sustained increases in volcanic earthquakes and forceful, voluminous steam or ash ejections. It also flags the potential for dangerous lava flows, rockfalls, and other volcanic hazards.
Mayon, known for its nearly perfect conical shape and its status as one of the Philippines’ most active volcanoes, has a long history of explosive eruptions that prompted mass evacuations in the past.
"Mayon is in a new phase of magmatic eruption, with increased chances of lava flows… in the immediate days to weeks," PHIVOLCS said.
Local officials and emergency services are monitoring the situation closely while coordinating evacuation plans and airspace restrictions to mitigate the eruption’s impact on nearby communities.
