(Manila) Philippine authorities on Saturday ordered the evacuation of more than 250,000 people and the return of boats to dock as the “super typhoon” approaches Man-yiwhich falls on the archipelago from the east.
Posted yesterday at 11:41 p.m.
Cecil Morella
Agence France-Presse
The national meteorological agency, which reclassified Man-yiwarned of gusts with “significant to severe” consequences and potentially fatal storm surges.
Near the sparsely populated island of Catanduanes (east), where it is expected that Man-yi making landfall between the second part of the day Saturday and early Sunday, high tides of up to 14 meters are forecast.
This “super typhoon”, with winds of up to 215 km/h, will be the sixth major storm to hit the Philippines in a month. Previous attacks have killed at least 163 people, left thousands homeless, destroyed crops and killed livestock.
Some 255,000 people have already been evacuated from areas vulnerable to landslides, flooding and storm surges, Interior Undersecretary Marlo Iringan said Saturday.
“If a preventive evacuation is necessary, let us implement it and not wait for the hour of danger to evacuate or seek help, because […] we would be endangering not only our lives, but also those of our rescuers,” he said.
All vessels, from fishing boats to tankers, have been ordered to stay in port or return to dock.
Scientists say climate change is increasing the intensity of storms, leading to heavier rains, flash floods and more violent gusts.
Every year, around 20 major storms and typhoons hit the Philippines or its surrounding waters, killing dozens of people, but it is rare for several such weather events to occur in a short period of time.
