In brief
A six‑minute eruption at Mayon Volcano in Albay Province on Friday 30 October 2026 produced a 3,000‑meter ash plume. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology lifted the volcano’s alert level to 3, citing new risks of lava flow and pyroclastic activity. Evacuations were ordered for people within a 6‑km Permanent Danger Zone, and pilots were warned to avoid the summit.
Mayon Volcano in northern Philippines erupted Friday, 30 October 2026, producing a plume that rose 3,000 metres above the crater. The eruption lasted about six minutes and was described by PHIVOLCS as a "moderately explosive eruption."
PHIVOLCS said the ash drifted west and southwest, with communities in Daraga, Guinobatan and nearby Albay municipalities expected to receive ashfall. The agency warns of rockfalls, lava flows and other volcanic hazards in the coming days and weeks.
"The volcano is in a new phase of magmatic eruption with increased chances of lava flows and pyroclastic density currents affecting the upper to middle slopes," PHIVOLCS noted, citing sustained increases in volcanic earthquakes and forceful steam/ash ejections as the basis for moving to a Level 3 alert.
People inside a 6‑km Permanent Danger Zone are urged to evacuate immediately. Local authorities in Albay Province have dispatched emergency teams to support residents and clear evacuation routes.
Aviation authorities are advised to keep aircraft away from the summit and limit flight operations around the volcano. Pilots are to avoid flying close to its peak during the heightened alert level.
Mayon, known for its near‑perfect conical shape, is one of the Philippines’ most active stratovolcanoes. It has a long history of explosive eruptions that have triggered mass evacuations in the past.
