MANILA, Nov 17 (NNN-PNA) – Hundreds of thousands of people in coastal villages and flood-prone areas, have been evacuated to safety in the Philippines, as the country braces itself for super typhoon Man-yi.
Man-yi, swirling with maximum winds of 195 km per hour, and gusts of up to 240 km per hour, has made landfall in Catanduanes, in the Bicol region of Luzon in the Philippines, last night.
In an 8.00 p.m. local time bulletin, the state weather bureau said, Man-yi “continues to threaten potentially catastrophic and life-threatening situation for north-eastern Bicol region.” It will blow away to the South China Sea tonight, or tomorrow morning.
“There is a high risk of life-threatening storm surge, with peak heights exceeding three metres in the 48 hours, over low-lying or exposed coastal localities” in Metro Manila, central Luzon and other areas, the bureau warned.
Man-yi is approaching areas that have been hit hard by the five overlapping typhoons, since late Oct. More than 160 people were killed by flooding and landslides, triggered by the harsh weather, with nearly 30 still missing, government figures showed.
The intense downpour has displaced millions of people and destroyed crops and infrastructure. Many provinces declared a state of calamity, due to the widespread devastation.
Man-yi, locally named Pepito, is the 16th tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines since Jan this year.
An average of 20 typhoons hit the Philippines each year, bringing torrential rain, strong winds and deadly landslides.– NNN-PNA
