Alert Level 3 issued for Mayon volcano as dome collapse triggers pyroclastic density currents, Philippines
PHIVOLCS raised Mayon Volcano’s alert status to Level 3 on January 6, 2026, following intensified dome collapse events and effusive lava extrusion at the summit crater. The next day, Tokyo VAAC reported a brief ash emission to 2 700 m (9 000 feet), consistent with ongoing shallow magmatic activity.
Mayon volcano on December 6, 2026. Credit: PHIVOLCS
Mayon volcano’s alert status was elevated from Alert Level 2 (increasing unrest) to Alert Level 3 (increased tendency toward a hazardous eruption) at 13:20 LT (05:20 UTC) on January 6, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) announced in an official bulletin.
The decision followed sharp increases in volcanic activity, including the collapse of the growing summit dome, generation of pyroclastic density currents (PDCs), and persistent ground inflation along the volcano’s eastern and southeastern slopes.
Since the previous alert raise on January 1, 2026, PHIVOLCS recorded 346 rockfall events and four volcanic earthquakes, with durations of one to five minutes and lava debris reaching up to 1 km (0.6 miles) down the southern upper slopes.
The events showed increased incandescence at night, marking the onset of slow extrusion of new degassed lava at the summit. On January 6, at 12:26 LT (04:26 UTC), a series of PDCs were generated from newly extruded lava on the Bonga (southeast) Gully, lasting about three minutes and extending up to 2 km (1.2 miles) from the crater.
SO2 emission rates remained at background levels, but continuous GPS, electronic tilt, and EDM measurements confirmed ongoing inflation since June 2024. PHIVOLCS concluded that very slow extrusion of shallow magma is occurring, indicating an effusive magmatic eruption at the summit.
The following day, January 7, at 11:21 LT (03:21 UTC), the Tokyo Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) reported an ash emission from Mayon reaching about 2 700 m (9 000 feet), extending northeast. The event was detected by Himawari-9 satellite imagery and PHIVOLCS monitoring data. No further ash was observed in subsequent satellite scans.
Under Alert Level 3, PHIVOLCS warns of possible lava flows, dome-collapse PDCs, and potential explosive activity within days or weeks. Residents within the 6 km (3.7 miles) Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) are advised to evacuate due to hazards from rockfalls, PDCs, and lava flows.
Civil aviation authorities are instructed to restrict flights near the summit due to possible ash hazards, while communities along the southern drainages are urged to remain alert for lahars and sediment-laden flows during rain events.
Based on prevailing wind direction, any ash fall is expected to affect areas south of the volcano.
The video below shows live 4K views of Mayon volcano, courtesy AfarTV:
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