Mayon Volcano Alert Status Lowered to Level 2

While surface activity has subsided, officials warn that the Albay volcano remains pressurized and dangerous, keeping the permanent danger zone strictly closed.

The active volcano in Albay had remained under Alert Level 3 for intensified unrest since January 6.

How Mayon Volcano Calm Down After Months of Eruptive Activity

Eruptive activity at the summit crater peaked between July 11 and July 18 before entering a sustained downward trend.

The drop in surface hazards was dramatic. Lava collapse-fed rockfalls plunged from an average of 278 events per day since January down to just 12 per day after July 23. Strombolian eruptions and pyroclastic density currents stopped entirely, with their final recorded occurrences on July 26 and July 28, respectively. Volcanic earthquakes similarly retreated from an average of 57 daily events down to 13, bringing real-time seismic energy back to pre-eruption levels.

Sulfur dioxide emissions followed the same cooling trajectory after reaching a record average of 13,128 tons per day on July 11. Despite those steep declines, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology emphasized that the downgrade does not signal an end to the volcano’s restiveness.

“Mayon Volcano’s monitoring network and observation of day-to-day conditions have recorded a general decline in unrest since 23 July 2026,”

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology

Hazards That Persist Inside the Permanent Danger Zone in Albay

Even with the reduction to a moderate level of unrest, ground deformation and microgravity measurements confirm that magma remains stored beneath the edifice.

Because of those persistent underground pressures, entry into the six-kilometer-radius permanent danger zone remains strictly prohibited. Authorities caution that the volcano could still produce sudden minor or phreatic eruptions, short-range pyroclastic density currents, rockfalls, ballistic projectiles, landslides, and thin ashfall.

Rainfall Risks and Warnings for Communities Near the Gullies

The massive volume of volcanic material deposited on the slopes during the 2026 eruption introduces a secondary hazard during severe weather. State volcanologists warned that heavy rainfall could easily mobilize loose deposits.

Mayon Volcano raised to Alert level 3 amid dome collapse, pyroclastic flows

Local government units and communities situated near those drainage channels have been advised to maintain vigilance and remain ready for potential evacuations during severe storms. Civil aviation authorities have also received warnings to keep aircraft away from the summit, as ash from any sudden, unexpected explosion poses a severe hazard to passing flights.

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