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Philippines braces for new storm Typhoon bears down on Philippines
(about 12 hours later)
The Philippines has ordered the evacuation of thousands of people from areas in the path of a second powerful typhoon to hit the country in a week. Typhoon Parma is due to make landfall in the storm-battered Philippines in the next few hours.
Typhoon Parma is expected to hit the main island of Luzon north of the capital Manila early on Saturday. President Gloria Arroyo has declared a national "state of calamity" and 33,000 people have been ordered to leave homes in the storm's predicted path.
Officials fear a second disaster after Typhoon Ketsana caused the worst floods in the Philippines in decades. The US Navy says it has two ships in Manila Bay ready to help if needed.
Ketsana caused nearly 300 deaths in the Philippines, as well as more than 100 in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Many South East Asian nations are still reeling from Typhoon Ketsana, which killed hundreds in the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam last week.
Forecasters said Parma was about 150km (93 miles) east of the northern Luzon island on Saturday morning and was gaining strength as it bore down on the coast.
The Philippine weather bureau said the storm, with winds of up to 230km/h (140mph), would be the strongest typhoon to hit the country since 2006.
It is expected to make landfall in or near the mountainous north-east province of Isabela later in the day.
Parma is expected to make life worse in regions still recovering from recent severe flooding.
"We are concerned about the effects of more rain on the relief work in flooded areas because the water level could rise again," Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on national television.
US Navy Admiral Timothy Keating said two ships were off the coast of Manila carrying full medical facilities and hundreds of marines who were ready to go wherever needed.
"The weather forecast is pretty grim for the north part of Luzon," he said.
"We think the threat to downtown Manila is lower than it is to the north part of Luzon."
Typhoon Ketsana caused nearly 300 deaths in the Philippines, as well as more than 100 in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
Parts of the Philippines near Manila remain flooded after Ketsana dropped a month's worth of rain in 12 hours last Saturday.Parts of the Philippines near Manila remain flooded after Ketsana dropped a month's worth of rain in 12 hours last Saturday.
'Strongest typhoon' Hundreds of thousands remain homeless in and around Manila in the wake of the storm.
President Gloria Arroyo appeared on national television to order the evacuation of low-lying coastal areas threatened by the new typhoon.
"We need that preventative evacuation," she said.
The military and police have been put on alert and civilian agencies have been ordered to stockpile food, water and medicine.
Some parts of Vietnam are still knee-deep in water
The Philippine weather bureau said Parma, with winds of up to 230km/h (140mph), would be the strongest typhoon to hit the country since 2006.
Nathaniel Cruz, the head weather forecaster in the Philippines, said Parma could yet change direction and miss the country, adding that it was carrying less rain than Ketsana.
But he said its strong winds could be highly destructive.
"We are dealing with a very strong typhoon [and] there is a big possibility that this typhoon will gather more strength," Mr Cruz said.
There are also fears that more heavy rain could worsen flooding left from the earlier typhoon.
"We're concerned about the effects of more rain on the relief work in flooded areas because the water level could rise again," said Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro.
Thousands homeless
Ketsana, with winds of up to 100km/h (60mph), hit the Philippines early last Saturday, crossing the main northern island of Luzon before heading out toward the South China Sea.
Almost two million people were affected by the flooding in Manila, the worst to hit the city in 40 years. At one point, 80% of the city was submerged.
Tens of thousands of people were left homeless.
Ketsana went on to hit the mainland of South-East Asia where it is now confirmed to have killed 99 people in Vietnam, 16 in Laos and 14 in Cambodia.
Most of the people have died in flooding or landslides caused by the sudden, heavy rain.
Authorities in Vietnam have been delivering food and water by speed boat and helicopter to isolated communities affected by Ketsana.
Some villages in Vietnam and Cambodia remained cut off by mudslides and flooding.
Do you live in areas in the path of Typhoon Parma? Are you going to evacuate? Send us your comments using the form below.Do you live in areas in the path of Typhoon Parma? Are you going to evacuate? Send us your comments using the form below.
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