LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines - Mayon released its first puff of ash Tuesday morning after three months of observation under alert level 2, said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

The ash puff reached 700 meters above the crater when it came out at around 5:33 a.m., said Alex Baloloy, senior science research analyst at the Phivolcs Mayon Observatory in Daraga, Albay.

Baloloy said the ash affected mostly the upper part of the slopes. The agency was checking if other areas were affected.

He said the observatory center was suffering from power outages that rendered it unable to receive messages from the central office of Phivolcs in Diliman, Quezon City and disseminate information to the local media.

Scientist Helma Canon of the observatory told the Inquirer via telephone that she had requested the Phivolcs central office to send the latest assessment report to the Office of Civil Defense in Camp Gen. Simeoan A. Ola as it was also not possible to relay the information through the Albay Provincial Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) because of lack of electricity.

The OCD-Bicol said it was still trying to coordinate with Phivolcs Manila to get the latest details.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) in Legazpi said the winds have become "very unpredictable."

Chief weather specialist Cora Samar warned residents around Mayon about unpredictable winds during the transition period from the southwest monsoon (Habagat) to the northeast monsoon.

"There is no definite direction of the wind due to the transition period and it might cause ashfall to occur anywhere within the danger zones and even outside, depending on the mass of the ashfall," she said.

However, she clarified she was not saying that the situation had reached a dangerous point for residents.

Samar assured the public that PAGASA has been constantly in touch with the Phivolcs and other disaster agencies as scientists have been closely watching Mayon for a possible eruptive state.

Cedric Daep, director of the APSEMO said areas facing the southeast quadrant of the volcano such as Barangays (Villages) Mabinit, Matanag and Buyuan, were initially reported to have experienced ash fall in the morning.

He said, however, that the report "is still unofficial" and that the Phivolcs has been investigating the event.