The main crater lake of Taal Volcano dried up on Wednesday due to continuous discharge, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said in a Wednesday afternoon bulletin.

In its latest bulletin, Phivolcs said "newly acquired satellite images would show that the Main Crater Lake (MCL) has been drained and new vent craters have been formed inside the Main Crater and on the north flank of the volcano."

"The main crater (lake) dried up and is alsmost completely covered with ash. We can now see smaller cones inside the main crater as well as the separate vents," added Maria Antonia Bornas, Phivolcs chief science research specialist.

Aside from the earlier reported fissuring in different barangays in Lemery, Agoncillo, and San Nicolas, a new fissure was seen in Sambal Ibaba, Lemery.

Taal's eruption decreased from 1,000 meters around 8 am to 700 meters of dark gray steam-laden plumes that drifted to the general direction of the southwest.

Alert level 4 is still raised posing possible hazardous explosive eruption within hours or days.

Areas within 14-kilometer radius from Taal's main crater have high risk of pyroclastic density currents - or formation of clouds and steam with ashes, gas and rocks - as well as volcanic tsunami. Cristina Eloisa Baclig/DMS