The Taal Volcano in the Philippines expelled plumes of gas on Thursday, blanketing nearby towns in volcanic smog in the Philippines.

Footage shows the active volcano discharging the vapours, which hung above the Taal Volcano caldera in Batangas province on August 12.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said the steam-rich vapours formed a 2.8-km plume above the Taal Volcano island, with a total of 13,572 tons of sulfur dioxide being churned out.

PHIVOLCS Director Renato Solidum said: 'Since the beginning of August 2022, there has been increased degassing activity in the form of visible upwelling of volcanic fluids in the Main Crater Lake and emission of voluminous steam-rich plumes that last night rose 2,800 meters above [the volcano island].'

He added that the mean sulfur dioxide flux has shot up to 7,818 tons per day since July 15 - a huge increase from the daily average of 1,289 tons between May and July.

The high levels of sulfur dioxide produced volcanic smog or 'vog,' which may be hazardous to residents with respiratory or heart problems.

Solidum has advised locals to stay indoors, also citing the risk of acid rain amid the country's monsoon season.

Taal Volcano is currently under Alert Level 1 indicating a 'low level' of volcanic unrest, PHIVOLCS said.