PHIVOLCS Raises Mayon Alert to Level 3

Philippine volcanologists raised the alert level for Mayon Volcano to 3 on January 6, 2026, signaling an increased risk of hazardous eruptions in the coming days or weeks in Albay province on Luzon island.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, known as PHIVOLCS, announced the escalation from Alert Level 2, which had been in place since New Year's Day. Officials reported that the volcano is undergoing a magmatic eruption, with a summit lava dome forming and very slow extrusion of shallow, degassed magma. This activity has led to heightened instability, including the collapse of portions of the lava dome that generated pyroclastic density currents along the southeast slopes. PHIVOLCS described these currents as fast-moving mixtures of fragmented volcanic particles, gases, and ash that pose severe dangers to nearby areas.

Over the past 24 hours leading up to January 7, monitors detected 131 rockfall events and five such density currents, alongside a faint crater glow visible only through telescopes, indicating hot magma near the surface. Sulfur dioxide emissions averaged 702 tonnes per day on January 5, up from lower levels earlier in the week, while ground...