Hundreds of families living around Mount Mayon in central Albay province are expected to be moved to safer areas after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alarm.
Mayon, a near-perfect cone located about 330 kilometres (205 miles) southeast of the capital Manila, is considered one of the most volatile of the country's 24 active volcanoes.
The seismology agency said it observed three fast-moving avalanches of volcanic ash, rock and gases, known as pyroclastic density currents (PDCs), on Mayon's slopes on Thursday.
There are "increased chances of lava flows and hazardous PDCs... and of potential explosive activity within weeks or even days", the agency said, raising the alert level from two to three on a scale of zero to five.
"All necessary preparations are being done," said Eugene Escobar, the Albay provincial disaster management agency's officer-in-charge.
Rommel Negrete, an officer for the agency, said residents would be evacuated from Anoling village on the volcano's slopes.
Meanwhile, Taal volcano, located about 50 kilometres (31 miles) south of Manila, has been releasing sulphur dioxide this week, blanketing surrounding areas in smog and prompting warnings for people to stay indoors.
Steam-rich plumes have been recorded rising two kilometres (1.2 miles) into the sky, the seismology agency said on Thursday. It has left the alert level at one.
Earthquakes and volcanic activity are not uncommon in the Philippines due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide deep below the Earth's surface.
Five years ago, Mayon displaced tens of thousands of people after spewing millions of tonnes of ash, rocks and lava.
The most powerful explosion in recent decades was the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) northwest of Manila, which killed more than 800 people.
It sent out an ash cloud that travelled thousands of kilometres in a matter of days and was blamed for damaging nearly two dozen aircraft.
Hawaii volcano erupts again
Los Angeles (AFP) June 7, 2023 -
One of the world's most active volcanoes has erupted again, with lava spewing from Kilauea in Hawaii on Wednesday.
Footage showed fissures have opened up at the base of a crater on the volcano, which regularly springs to life, with vulcanologists calling the eruption "dynamic."
Scientists at the United States Geological Survey said they began detecting activity early on Wednesday morning, all well within the confines of the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, and away from population centers.
"High levels of volcanic gas are the primary hazard of concern, as this hazard can have far-reaching effects down-wind," the USGS said.
"As (sulphur dioxide) is released from the summit, it will react in the atmosphere to create the visible haze known as vog (volcanic smog) that has been observed downwind of Kilauea. "
This vog can create breathing difficulties for people and animals, and can also affect crops, the agency said.
The eruption could also produce a phenomenon called "Pele's hair" -- tiny slivers of volcanic glass that can be irritating to exposed skin, and can cause eye problems. Pele is the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes.
The eruption comes months after Kilauea's bigger neighbor Mauna Loa treated volcano watchers to a spectacular display.
Mauna Loa, the world's biggest volcano, put on a weeks-long show at the end of last year as it erupted for the first time in four decades, with lava fountains 60 meters high that sent rivers of molten rock down the flanks.
Kilauea is much smaller than Mauna Loa, but is far more active, and regularly wows helicopter-riding tourists who come to see its red-hot shows on Hawaii's Big Island.
Kilauea is one of six active volcanoes on the Hawaiian islands.
It erupted almost continuously between 1983 and 2019.
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