Doomsday? Ash-covered villages reel under the weight of ashfall spewed out by the Philippines' Taal Volcano

An ash-covered vehicle drives down a muddy road as Taal volcano continues to erupt in Tagaytay, Cavite province, southern Philippines on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. Red-hot lava gushed out of a volcano near the Philippine capital on Monday, as thousands of people fled the area through heavy ash. Experts warned that the eruption could get worse and plans were being made to evacuate hundreds of thousands.

Residents walk in a cloud of ash as Taal Volcano continues to spew ash on Monday Jan. 13, 2020, in Lemery, Batangas province, south of Manila, Philippines. Red-hot lava gushed out of the Philippine volcano Monday after a sudden eruption of ash and steam that forced villagers to flee en masse and shut down Manila’s international airport, offices and schools.

A man walks on a road blanketed with volcanic ash from the erupting Taal Volcano in Tagaytay.

Clouds of ash from the Taal volcano reached Manila, 65 kilometers (40 miles) to the north. Photo shows residents riding along an ash covered road as they evacuate to safer grounds as Taal volcano in Lemery, Batangas, southern Philippines on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. Red-hot lava gushed out of a volcano near the Philippine capital on Monday, as thousands of people fled the area through heavy ash. Experts warned that the eruption could get worse and plans were being made to evacuate hundreds of thousands.

Villagers in the Philippine province of Batangas, near Manila, flee the volcanic ashfall in a tricycle on Monday. There's been a reported shortage of facial mask in the area.

A ferris wheel is covered with volcanic ash in a park in Tagaytay City.

A worker carries a fallen branch in a resort blanketed with volcanic ash in Talisay, Batangas.

A bird sits atop a roof covered with ashes from the erupting Taal Volcano evacuates in Talisay, Batangas.

A man walks through thick ash on a road from Taal volcano in Lemery, Batangas.

Residents walk in a cloud of ash as Taal Volcano continues to spew ash

Trees are covered with falling ash from the Taal volcano in Tagaytay.

A man negotiates a road covered with ash spewed from Taal Volcano in Lemery, Batangas.

A family evacuates to safer grounds. Aside from the lava fountain recorded Monday, Taal continues to spew a 2-kilometer high column of smoke and ash.

A jeep passes along an ash-covered road during evacuations as Taal volcano continues to erupt in Lemery, Batangas

Houses covered with ashes from the erupting Taal Volcano are pictured in Talisay, Batangas.

Ash-covered street of a town in Batangas province.

30,000 families evacuated from villages near Taal Volcano.

Residents wait to be evacuated as heavy ash and debris from the Taal volcano eruption continues to cover their town in Talisay, Batangas, southern Philippines on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. Red-hot lava gushed out of a volcano near the Philippine capital on Monday, as thousands of people fled the area through heavy ash. Experts warned that the eruption could get worse and plans were being made to evacuate hundreds of thousands.

Metro Manila residents started to experience some ashfall Sunday evening until Monday morning, January 13. This photo was taken in Laguna province, near Manila on January 13.

Ash-covered driveway in Laguna Province, 73 km away from Taal Volcano. Photo taken January 13, 2020.

Fine volcanic ashfall can cause irritation and breathing problems especially among patients suffering from lung-related health issues.

Lava flow was emitted from the now-active Taal Volcano for 90 minutes early Monday morning. Volcanologists expect to see flows of ashes, rocks, gas at speeds of more than 60 kph [37 mph] horizontally and that can move across the lake.

A combo of pictures of Taal Volcano spewing ash as seen from Dasmarinas City (65.2 km away) and Imus, Cavite (77.4km away), Philippines. Photo taken on January 12, 2020.

Taal is not a small volcano. It’s just the tip that's above the Taal Lake (mean depth 20 metres). The whole body is underwater. The earliest recorded eruption of Taal Volcano was in 1754. It also erupted in 1911 and 1965, according to Philvolcs.

There is growing evidence that volcanic ash can cause natural "iron-fertilisation" and phytoplankton increase in the oceans. Volcanic ash is also considered free fertilizer.

A worker walks past plants covered with ash after Taal Volcano's eruption. Soil scientists point to Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF), fungi that are of the highest concentration on this planet in volcanic ash, and which constitute a group of root "obligate biotrophs". These fungi exchange mutual benefits with about 80% of plants and are considered natural "biofertilizers", since they provide the host with water, nutrients, and pathogen protection, in exchange for photosynthetic products. Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM), considered the most common symbiotic association of plants with microbes, helps improve plant nutrition, stress resistance and tolerance, soil structure and fertility.

On Tuesday, January 14, 2020, flight operations are back in Manila as the ash cloud from Taal Volcano started moving away from the area.