Philippines raises Mayon volcano alert and urges evacuations after a six-minute eruption blasts ash 3km into the sky
Mayon Volcano erupting in Albay, Philippines, as posted on X by Weather Monitor, with residents within the 6km Permanent Danger Zone ordered to evacuate.
Following Friday's six-minute eruption, which drove a dense grey ash column west-southwest over Daraga, Guinobatan and nearby communities in Albay province, authorities raised Mayon volcano's alert from Level 2 to Level 3, indicating a heightened risk of a hazardous eruption. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the volcano has moved into a fresh magmatic eruption phase, with lava flows and pyroclastic density currents expected to threaten its slopes over the coming days and weeks.
Evacuations have been ordered within the six-kilometre Permanent Danger Zone, and classes across Albay province have been cancelled; Legazpi City alone has a population exceeding 200,000 people.
Phivolcs warned downstream communities to stay alert for lahars — fast-moving volcanic mudflows — particularly during heavy rainfall, and advised aircraft to steer clear of the summit.
No casualties or structural damage were immediately reported; Phivolcs had previously held Level 3 for nearly seven months, first raising it in January before lowering the alert to Level 2 in August.
