This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/19/philippines-high-alert-super-typhoon-haima-hits-country
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Philippines on high alert as Super Typhoon Haima hits country | Philippines on high alert as Super Typhoon Haima hits country |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Millions of people in the Philippines have been put on high alert as one of the strongest typhoons ever hit the country with authorities warning of giant storm surges and destructive winds. | Millions of people in the Philippines have been put on high alert as one of the strongest typhoons ever hit the country with authorities warning of giant storm surges and destructive winds. |
| Super Typhoon Haima reached the northern province of Cagayan at about 11pm local time (1500 GMT) on Wednesday, bringing strong winds and heavy rains almost on a par with the catastrophic Super Typhoon Haiyan, which killed more than 7,350 people in 2013. | |
| “We only pray we be spared the destruction such as the previous times, which brought agony and suffering,” the country’s president, Rodrigo Duterte, said in Beijing, where he is on a four-day visit. “But we are ready. Everything has been deployed.” | |
| The Himawari-8 satellite captured this true-color image of Typhoon Haima in the W. Pacific on 10/19. More imagery at https://t.co/jRlat3bnOa pic.twitter.com/AlWFhvWU82 | The Himawari-8 satellite captured this true-color image of Typhoon Haima in the W. Pacific on 10/19. More imagery at https://t.co/jRlat3bnOa pic.twitter.com/AlWFhvWU82 |
| Haima has a weather band of 500 miles (800km), putting more than 10 million people across the northern parts of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon within its reach, according to the government’s disaster risk management agency. | Haima has a weather band of 500 miles (800km), putting more than 10 million people across the northern parts of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon within its reach, according to the government’s disaster risk management agency. |
| The storm struck the Philippines with sustained winds of 140mph (225kph) and gusts of 195mph, said the state weather forecaster Gener Quitlong. | |
| It is expected to move westward through the mountainous northern end of Luzon and will exit the landmass by Thursday, he said. It is then expected to track towards southern China. | It is expected to move westward through the mountainous northern end of Luzon and will exit the landmass by Thursday, he said. It is then expected to track towards southern China. |
| The civil defence chief, Ricardo Jalad, said all areas in the storm’s path had been evacuated although he could not give an estimate on how many people had fled. | |
| “We are expecting that there will be damages to light structures” as well as danger from possible floods and landslides, Jalad told the radio station DZMM. | |
| Authorities warned coastal communities to expect storm surges of five metres (16ft) or higher. | Authorities warned coastal communities to expect storm surges of five metres (16ft) or higher. |
| “It’s already started. The wind is strong, the waves are big,” said Julie Hermano, the manager of a small resort in Santa Ana, a coastal town of about 30,000 people that is in the typhoon’s path. | |
| “Some residents have been panic-buying food in markets because we were told it’s going to be a super typhoon. We’ve already tied down our water tank and prepared our [power] generator set.” | |
| The Philippine islands are often the first major landmass to be hit by storms that are generated over the Pacific Ocean. The south-east Asian archipelago endures about 20 major storms each year, many of them deadly. | |
| The most powerful and deadliest was Haiyan, which destroyed entire towns in heavily populated areas of the central Philippines. | The most powerful and deadliest was Haiyan, which destroyed entire towns in heavily populated areas of the central Philippines. |
| “We are possibly dealing with a typhoon that is even stronger than Typhoon Yolanda [as Haiyan was known in the Philippines] in 2013. We must therefore brace ourselves for the possible effects of a typhoon of this magnitude,” said the government’s executive secretary, Salvador Medialdea. | |
| “We call on all government agencies to be on highest level of preparedness and to take all necessary precautions.” | “We call on all government agencies to be on highest level of preparedness and to take all necessary precautions.” |
| In the northern regions expected to be worst hit, tens of thousands of people sought refuge in schools and other makeshift evacuation centres as authorities raised the highest typhoon alert, signal five. Flights to the north were also suspended and schools closed. | |
| Power to some areas was cut off late on Wednesday as strong winds heralding Haima’s landfall brought down electricity cables. | |
| The Philippine capital, Manila, is about 215 miles south of where Haima struck land. | |
| Authorities said the city of about 12 million people was not expected to be badly affected although it would experience some rain. | Authorities said the city of about 12 million people was not expected to be badly affected although it would experience some rain. |
| Haima is the second typhoon to hit the northern Philippines in a week, after Sarika struck on Sunday killing at least one person and leaving three others missing. | Haima is the second typhoon to hit the northern Philippines in a week, after Sarika struck on Sunday killing at least one person and leaving three others missing. |