Philippines Taal Volcano Spews Mega Ash Cloud – Evacuations Underway, Flights Canceled 

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has raised the alert level on Sunday after a volcano south of the Philippine capital of Manila erupted, prompting evacuations and canceled flights, reported Reuters.

PEA ASHFALL ADVISORY #1
Issued at 6:00 PM, 12 January 2020, Sunday
Cause: Taal Volcano Phreatic Eruption

Ash from Taal Volcano is currently affecting portions of Calabarzon, Metro Manila and Central Luzon pic.twitter.com/uYTXT9im8A

— Philippine Emergency Alerts – PEA (@AlertsPea) January 12, 2020

PHIVOLCS raised the alert level at Taal Volcano from Alert Level 1 to Alert Level 2 at 2:30 p.m. Sunday – then several hours later, raised the alert level to Level 3, indicating “magmatic unrest” that could destabilize the region in the coming days. The highest level is 5, and that is when a magmatic eruption is underway.

“Taal Volcano Main Crater has escalated its eruptive activity, generating an eruption plume 1 km [3,280 feet] high accompanied by volcanic tremor and felt earthquakes in Volcano Island and barangays of Agoncillo, Batanga. Ashfall is currently being showered on the southwest sector of Taal,” PHIVOLCS said in a statement.

The country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has already started to evacuate communities situated around the volcano. 

The eruption has already triggered a massive plume of volcano ash that is upwards of a mile high.

TAAL VOLCANO at the moment.
Magnificent yet scary. 🗻🌋 pic.twitter.com/fte5k5OfL3

— joeyboyputotoy (@JoeyboyPutotoy) January 12, 2020

NDRRMC said 8,000 residents had been asked to evacuate on a Level 3. The number could significantly increase if the alert level is elevated to 4 or 5. 

All flights at Ninoy Aquino International Airport have been suspended due to the volcano ash that lingers in the atmosphere. 

Lightning strikes at the Taal Volcano smoke after its phreatic eruption earlier today.

📸: TO Owner pic.twitter.com/bc55nfJlGj

— Jayc (@Iamjaygarcia1) January 12, 2020

my dumb ass thought this was the TAAL volcano pic.twitter.com/iqJPZIpvOh

— hh (@NotSeanMabuti) January 12, 2020

Taal Volcano Eruption & Wedding.

Beautiful Disaster 🙏 pic.twitter.com/zr1PCRVn5w

— ❌ROYCE❌ (@RoyceDePaz) January 12, 2020

not bts related but the taal volcano has erupted earlier this morning. may all the locals around the calabarzon are safe and i hope this won’t cause any serious damages. #TaalVolcano pic.twitter.com/6VTgxDth0b

— pran ♡’s bts ⁷ (@beemyhope_) January 12, 2020

Renato Soldium, PHIVOLCS officer-in-charge, told CNN Philippines that “magma is intruding from below. If eventually, this will continue to move up, then there can be a magmatic eruption which is more dangerous.” 

ash cloud from taal now reaching NCR. Keep Safe. pic.twitter.com/zzVJh1gTiG

— robb (@chinitsko) January 12, 2020

Watch live coverage of the volcano via ABS-CBN News: