Manila, Typhoon Yutu, which hit the northern
Philippines today, forced thousands of people to flee their homes amid
warnings from floods and landslides caused by heavy rains.
The weather office said that it reached land with winds of up to
140 km/h and 230 km/h. It expected the typhoon to move westward at
25 km/h as it crossed into the Luzon area.
More than 5,000 people were forced to evacuate coastal
communities in Isabella, Cagayan and Aurora provinces, where winds
have knocked down rooftops in Santiago, Isabella provinces.
Thousands of passengers were stranded at ports in southern
Manila after sea journeys were suspended due to sea disturbance.
Several flights to and from the northern Philippines were also
canceled. Schools and businesses suspended in government offices in
affected provinces.
The Meteorological Office predicted that the typhoon would
move away from the Philippines by Wednesday night and that the
weather would improve by next Thursday.
The Philippines is exposed annually to an average of 20
typhoons causing floods, landslides and other accidents. Typhoon
Haiyan is one of the most powerful typhoons in modern memory that
struck the Philippines in November 2013, killing more than 6,300
people and displacing more than 4 million others.
Source: Oman News Agency