Super typhoon threatens the Philippines, still reeling from recent storm that killed more than 200

MANILA, Philippines -- Super Typhoon Fung-wong, the biggest tempest to endanger the Philippines this year, started battering the country’s northeastern seashore up of landfall connected Sunday, knocking down power, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of radical and prompting the defence main to pass millions to evacuate to information from high-risk villages earlier it’s excessively late.

Fung-wong, which could screen two-thirds of the Southeast Asian archipelago with its 1,600-kilometer- (994-mile-) wide rainfall and upwind band, approached from the Pacific portion the Philippines was inactive dealing with the devastation wrought by Typhoon Kalmaegi, which near astatine slightest 204 radical dormant successful cardinal land provinces connected Tuesday earlier pummeling Vietnam, wherever astatine slightest 5 were killed.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared a authorities of exigency owed to the extended devastation caused by Kalmaegi and the expected calamity from Fung-wong, which is called Uwan successful the Philippines.

Fung-wong, with winds of up to 185 kph (115 mph) and gusts of up to 230 kph (143 mph), was spotted by authorities forecasters Sunday greeting astir 125 kilometers (78 miles) northeast of the municipality of Virac successful Catanduanes province, wherever it is already being felt. The typhoon is expected to way northwestward and marque landfall connected the seashore of Aurora oregon Isabela state aboriginal Sunday oregon aboriginal Monday, authorities forecasters said.

Tropical cyclones with sustained winds of 185 kph (115 mph) oregon higher are categorized successful the Philippines arsenic a ace typhoon, a designation adopted years agone to underscore the urgency tied to specified utmost upwind disturbances.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., who oversees the country’s catastrophe effect agencies and the military, warned astir the perchance catastrophic interaction of Fung-wong successful televised remarks Saturday. He said the tempest could impact a immense expanse of the country, including Cebu, the cardinal state deed hardest by Typhoon Kalmaegi, and metropolitan Manila, the densely populated superior portion which is the spot of powerfulness and the country’s fiscal center.

Teodoro asked radical to travel orders by officials to instantly determination distant from villages and towns prone to flash floods, landslides and coastal tidal surges. “We request to bash this due to the fact that erstwhile it’s already raining oregon the typhoon has deed and flooding has started, it’s hard to rescue people,” Teodoro said.

The Philippines has not called for planetary assistance pursuing the devastation caused by Kalmaegi but Teodoro said the United States, the country’s longtime pact ally, and Japan were acceptable to supply assistance.

As Fung-wong approached with its wide set of fierce upwind and rain, respective eastbound towns and villages mislaid power, Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro of the Office of Civil Defense said.

About 50,000 families were evacuated from high-risk villages successful Bicol, a northeastern coastal portion susceptible to Pacific cyclones and mudflows from Mayon, 1 of the country’s astir progressive volcanoes.

Authorities successful bluish provinces to beryllium deed oregon sideswiped by Fung-wong preemptively declared the shutdown of schools and astir authorities offices connected Monday. Several home flights were canceled successful threatened provinces, and much than 6,600 commuters and cargo workers were stranded successful astatine slightest 86 seaports, wherever the seashore defender prohibited ships from venturing into progressively unsmooth seas.

The Philippines is battered by astir 20 typhoons and storms each year. The state besides is often deed by earthquakes and has much than a twelve active volcanoes, making it 1 of the world’s astir disaster-prone countries.