MANILA Philippines — Taal Volcano: ‘Hazardous eruption imminent’. Alert Level 4.

January 13, 2020January 13, 2020 Contributor 0 Comment #TaalVolcano #Ashfall, #walangpasok, class suspensions, no classes tomorrow, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Phivolcs, Taal Volcano, Taal Volcano now on Alert Level 4: ‘Hazardous eruption imminent’

VOLCANIC LIGHTNING. Taal Volcano triggers volcanic lightning while spewing a massive cloud of ash into the sky. Michael Sagaran

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised the Alert Level 4 over Taal Volcano just hours after it spewed ash.

READ: BREAKING: Taal volcano spews ash in phreatic eruption

Alert Level 4 means that “hazardous explosive eruption is possible within hours to days.

People watch plumes of smoke and ash rise from as Taal Volcano erupts Sunday Jan. 12, 2020, in Tagaytay, Cavite province, outside Manila, Philippines (Photo by AARON FAVILA / AP)

In its bulletin issued 7:30 p.m., Phivolcs said that it is because “eruptive activity at Taal Volcano Main Crater intensified as continuous eruption generated a tall 10-15 kilometer steam-laden tephra column with frequent volcanic lightning that rained wet ashfall on the general north as far as Quezon City.”

According to Phivolcs, volcanic tremor has been recorded continuously since 11 a.m. and two volcanic earthquakes of magnitudes M2.5 and M3.9 were felt at Intensity III in Tagaytay City and Alitagtag, Batangas at 6:15 p.m. and 6:22 p.m., respectively.

Because of this, Phivolcs renewed its call for total evacuation of Taal Volcano Island and other high-risk areas within a 14-kilometer radius from Taal Main Crater.

In Phivolcs’ Taal Volcano Alert Signals, Alert Level 4 means “intense unrest, continuing seismic swarms, including harmonic tremor and/or ‘low frequency earthquakes’ which are usually felt, profuse steaming along existing and perhaps new vents and fissures.”

Phivolcs earlier raised the Taal Volcano alert status to Alert Level 3 from Alert Level 2 at 4 p.m.

READ: Alert Level 3 up for Taal volcano

Taal’s beauty hides a terrible force of nature

It is a favorite weekend destination for Manileños, offering a breathtaking view of what is considered a rare natural spectacle.

But the beauty of Taal Volcano masks its deadly Mr. Hyde persona.

The 311-meter volcano dominates an island in the middle of a lake that is actually an ancient caldera, formed during prehistoric eruptions.

As dusk fell, the cloud of ash reached Metro Manila giving the sky a heavy orange tint. PHOTO BY ORVEN VERDOTE

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Given its geological profile, it is no wonder that Taal is the second most active volcano in the Philippines, second only to Mount Mayon in Legazpi City, Albay.

It has erupted 34 times between 1572 and 1977. Six of the eruptions claimed fatalities.

The 1754 blast lasted six and half months and buried six towns in Batangas, changing the landscape forever.

In 1911, 1,334 were killed when the volcano blew.

Since 1977, Taal has had a relatively quiet episode, with seismic activity not exceeding Alert Level 2.

Alert Level 1 was raised in March following a surge of minor volcanic activity. It picked up in November, after a swarm of earthquakes were recorded.

On Sunday, Taal woke up from a long sleep, sending a one-kilometer column of ash into the air.

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