PAGASA: Rains may trigger lahar flow from Bulusan Volcano

Residents near restive Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon may have to brace for possible lahar flows as rains loom over the area, state weather forecasters said Wednesday. Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) forecaster Elvie Enriquez said the rains could also cause flash floods and landslides. "Isa yan sa pwedeng mangyari, ilang araw na rin kasing nag-uulan dito (Lahar flows might occur. It has been raining in the area for quite some time)," Enriquez said in an interview on dzBB radio when asked about the chances of lahar flows from the volcano. Enriquez also said residents in the eastern part of Luzon, including the Bicol region, can expect cloudy skies and scattered rainshowers that can cause flash floods and landslides. PAGASA's 5 a.m. bulletin indicated a cold front will affect Luzon. "Luzon and Western Visayas will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers becoming cloudy with widespread rains over Eastern Luzon which may trigger flashfloods and landslides. The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms," it said. Meanwhile, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) warned people residing near valleys and streams to be vigilant against sediment-laden stream flows in case of heavy and continuous rainfall. On Wednesday, Phivolcs said they may extend the permanent danger zone around Mount Bulusan to five from the present four kilometers, depending on the situation of the volcano. Phivolcs resident volcanologist in Albay Ed Laguerta said they are closely monitoring developments at Bulusan. But for now, he said the four-kilometer permanent danger zone remains in effect. "Kung sakaling may pagbabago mag-alert level 2 tayo at maaaring e-extend sa five kilometers (Should the situation require it, we will raise the alert level to '2' and extend the permanent danger zone to five kilometers)," Laguerta said in a separate interview on dzBB. On Tuesday afternoon, Bulusan had two consecutive ash explosions, at 3:30 and 3:43 p.m. The first ejected ash column as high as one km above the crater while the second reached 800 meters. "Both explosions were accompanied by loud booming sounds and produced grayish-colored ash which then drifted to the southwest toward the town of Irosin," Phivolcs said. — LBG, GMANews.TV