CAVITE - Residents in towns overlooking Taal lake were terrified by huge clouds and lightning activity evening of Sunday (May 23), initially mistaken to be an eruption at Taal Volcano.

Photos taken from the town of General Emilio Aguinaldo, also known as Bailen, showed glowing mounds of dark clouds with lightning streaks.

"Maraming napatingin sa langit, natakot, dahil ang lapit ng kidlat at walang tigil (Many stared at the skies, scared, because the flashes of lightning seemed near and were non-stop)," resident and photographer Derrick V. Quibael told the Manila Bulletin.

Science and Technology Undersecretary and Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) OIC Renato Solidum already clarified that the flashing clouds reported were not an eruption but a thunderstorm activity in Batangas.