The Mayon Volcano continues to effuse a “very slow” lava down its slopes and its volcanic activity ceaselessly increased, the state seismologist said on Saturday, June 17.

In its 24-monitoring bulletin issued at 8 AM, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the lava flow advanced to “maximum lengths” of 1,500 meters from the Mayon’s summit crater.

It added that the Mayon deposited collapsed debris of 3,300 meters on Mi-isi and Bonga gullies.

The Phivolcs also recorded 9 dome-collapse pyroclastic density currents (PDC) that lasted for 2 to 4 minutes, 280 rockfall events, and 2 volcanic earthquakes.

The state seismologist observed that Mayon emitted steam-laden plumes with 100 meters long and drifted to the general west and 978 tonnes of sulfur dioxide since Friday.

“Longer-term ground deformation parameters based on EDM, precise leveling, continuous GPS, and electronic tilt monitoring indicate that Mayon is still inflated, especially on the northwest and southeast,” the Phivolcs said.

Alert Level 3 is maintained over Mayon Volcano due to its prevailing high level of unrest and that the magma is at the crater.

“Hazardous eruption within weeks or even days is possible,” it said.

The Phivolcs reiterated that the public should be vigilant against pyroclastic density currents, lahars and sediment-laden streamflows, and aircrafts flying close to Mount Mayon is still prohibited.

The state seismologist forecast that ash fall events may most likely occur on the south side of the volcano.