Lahar possible in Mayon amid rains in Albay —PHIVOLCS

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) on Friday warned residents, who live near rivers coming from Mayon, of possible lahar amid the rainy weather.

At a televised public briefing, PHIVOLCS Mayon Volcano Observatory resident volcanologist Dr. Paul Alanis said the residents in these areas should be on alert for this possible scenario.

"Dahil nga meron po tayong low pressure area na nakakaapekto sa probinsya ng Albay, pinapaalalahanan natin ang ating mga kababayan na nakatira malapit sa mga ilog na nagmumula sa Mayon Volcano na maghanda at maging alerto dahil maaari tayong magkaroon ng mga lahar," he said.

(Because we have a low pressure area that is affecting Albay province, we are reminding those living near rivers coming from Mayon to prepare and be on alert.)

Lahar, or volcanic mudflows or debris flows, are slurries of volcanic sediment, debris, and water that cascade down a volcano’s slopes through rivers and channels, according to PHIVOLCS.

In tropical areas, lahars are mainly generated by torrential rainfall on unconsolidated deposits from a past eruption, PHIVOLCS said.

It can also be triggered by the sudden draining of a crater lake, a collapsed natural or man-made dam, or the movement of a pyroclastic density current (PDC) into a river or lake and eventual mixing with water, it added.

On Thursday night, state weather bureau PAGASA said the low pressure area east of Baler, Aurora has developed into a tropical depression, now called Dodong.

In its 2 p.m. bulletin on Friday, PAGASA said the enhanced Southwest Monsoon or Habagat may bring gusty conditions over MIMAROPA, the Bicol Region, Western Visayas, CALABARZON, Metro Manila, and other Northern and Central Luzon areas.

Alert Level 3 is maintained over Mayon Volcano, which means that it is currently in a relatively high level of unrest as magma is at the crater and hazardous eruption within weeks or even days is possible, PHIVOLCS said.

In its latest bulletin, PHIVOLCS said five volcanic earthquakes, 361 rockfall events, and seven PDC events had been recorded in Mayon Volcano in the past 24 hours. —VAL, GMA Integrated News