Thunderstorm expected, ashfall won't spread beyond Taal area yet -PAGASA

A weather specialist of state weather bureau PAGASA said on Friday assured the public that ashfall generated by Thursday's multiple explosions of Taal Volcano would only be limited around the volcano.

Citing the small amount of ashes that the Taal Volcano had spewed, PAGASA weather specialist Raymond Ordinario said ashes are not expected to spread beyond the vicinity of Taal.

“Ang chances na magkaroon ng ashfall, sa ngayon po doon sa area ng Taal po puwede magkaroon. [Pero] hindi naman ganun karami yung abo na ibinuga para kumalat,” he said.

(There is a chance to experience ashfall in Taal area. The amount of ashes that the volcano spewed is not that much to spread.)

Ashfall is possible to spread with the large amount of ashes from the volcano and strong winds, he added.

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), ashfall can accumulate as thick blankets of material, causing infrastructural damages, roof collapse, contamination of water resources and burial.

It is a health hazard and a danger to aircraft and other industrial machinery, such as those for transportation and power generation.

Meanwhile, thunderstorms are expected over the Taal area, according to the weather specialist.

A short-lived phreatomagmatic eruption occurred at Taal's main crater on Thursday afternoon and generated a dark grayish plume that rose 1,000 meters, PHIVOLCS said.

It was followed by four short phreatomagmatic bursts at 6:26 p.m., 7:21 p.m., 7:41 p.m., and 8:20 p.m. that lasted not longer than two minutes, producing plumes of up to 200 meters above the main crater lake.

As of Friday morning, Alert Level 3 remained over the Taal Volcano, which means magma extruding from the main crater could drive an explosive eruption. -MDM, GMA News