MANILA, Philippines — State volcanologists raised Alert Level 3 over Taal Volcano on Thursday after it ejected a one-kilometer plume of steam and magma.
“This means that there is magmatic intrusion at the Main Crater that may further drive succeeding eruptions,” Phivolcs said in a bulletin.
According to Phivolcs, the raising of Alert Level 3 over Taal Volcano means that a “hazardous eruption is possible within days to weeks.”
Phivolcs strongly recommends that Taal Volcano Island and high-risk barangays of Agoncillo and Laurel in Batangas be evacuated due to possible hazards brought by the volcano.
The raising of the alert level over Taal Volcano comes just a day after Phivolcs acknowledged that sulfur dioxide being emitted by Taal Volcano has reached Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
Taal Volcano has been under Alert Level 2 since March this year when it showed “increasing unrest” following an eruption in January 2020.
Taal woke up from its decades-long slumber on Jan. 12, 2020, unleashing a kilometers-high ash column and lava fountain the next day.
The restive activity led to the evacuation of thousands living on the volcano island and high-risk areas, and destruction of houses and establishments in Batangas. — Xave Gregorio