Philippines raises alert level at restive Mayon volcano

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines on Tuesday raised its alert level for the Mayon volcano in the central province of Albay, warning of "potential explosive activity" in the coming days or weeks and advising people to stay outside of a 6-kilometre (3.7 miles) danger zone.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, also known as Phivolcs, raised the alert to level three on a five-level scale, which means magma is pushing up inside the volcano and forming a lava dome at the summit.

Phivolcs urged residents within the 6-km no-go zone to evacuate because of risks like lava flows, falling rocks, and other hazards.

Mayon is the most active of 22 volcanoes in the Philippines, having erupted more than 50 times in the last four centuries. Its last magmatic eruption was in June 2023 when it spewed lava and noxious gases.

The most destructive eruption came in February 1841 when lava flows buried an entire town and killed 1,200 people.

The Philippines lies on the "Ring of Fire", a belt of volcanoes circling the Pacific Ocean that is also prone to earthquakes.

Phivolcs urged civil aviation authorities to advise pilots to avoid flying near Mayon's summit because ash from a sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft.

Since January 1, 2026, PHIVOLCS has recorded 346 rockfalls and 4 volcanic earthquakes, compared to 599 rockfalls in November–December 2025.