A six-minute explosive eruption sends a 3,000-meter ash plume over Albay
Mayon Volcano in Albay recorded a moderately explosive eruption on Friday, October 30, 2026, prompting the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) to raise Alert Level 3 over the country’s most active volcano.
According to PHIVOLCS, the eruption began at 11:53 a.m. and ended at 11:59 a.m., lasting nearly six minutes. It generated a grayish ash plume that rose about 3,000 meters above the summit crater and drifted west-southwest.
Alert Level 3 means an increased tendency toward a hazardous eruption. PHIVOLCS said Mayon is now in “a new phase of magmatic eruption, with increased chances of lava flows and hazardous PDCs [pyroclastic density currents] or uson affecting the upper to middle slopes of the volcano in the immediate days to weeks.”
The agency warned that ashfall could affect Daraga, Guinobatan and adjacent municipalities in Albay. Classes were suspended on Friday because of the eruption, and the provincial government reminded residents to wear face masks in anticipation of possible ashfall.
PHIVOLCS recommended the evacuation of all areas within the six-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) because of the threat of pyroclastic density currents, lava flows, rockfalls and other volcanic hazards. Entry into the PDZ is prohibited, and pilots were told to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit.
Residents living near river channels that drain the volcano were also told to stay alert for lahars and sediment-laden streamflows, especially during heavy rain.
For those caught in ashfall, PHIVOLCS advised covering the nose and mouth with a damp clean cloth or a dust mask, and to keep monitoring official advisories from DOST-PHIVOLCS.
Mayon, a near-perfect cone that towers over Legazpi City and nearby towns, has a long history of eruptions. Local officials are expected to update evacuation figures and school schedules as monitoring continues in the coming days.