Arab Weather - Typhoon Toraji made landfall in the northeastern Philippines on Monday morning, according to the national weather agency. The typhoon caused residents to evacuate and ports to close, as the country faces three consecutive strong storms in less than a month.
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The weather agency said Toraji made landfall near Delasag City, about 220 kilometers northeast of the capital Manila, at 08:10 a.m. local time. No immediate casualties or damage were reported.
Merwina Pablo, disaster management official in nearby Dinalongan City, said the city had been hit by strong winds and heavy rains, which had uprooted trees and cut power since Sunday. "We can't go out to assess the damage yet," she said.
About 1,400 people have been evacuated from the coastal cities of Dinalongan and Balir, which are at risk of flooding and landslides. Authorities have also ordered residents of 2,500 villages to evacuate, while the national disaster agency has not yet given a final number of people who have been moved to safety.
Meanwhile, schools, ports and government buildings have been closed in vulnerable areas.
The weather agency has issued warnings of strong winds and heavy rains hitting the country's north, with giant waves expected along the coast of the main island of Luzon. The agency urged all seafarers to stay in port or seek safe haven until conditions calm down.
The army and police have prepared 14 aircraft to rescue those affected and deliver food aid to areas that may be isolated by heavy rains and floods resulting from the hurricane.
This typhoon comes at a complicated time for recovery efforts in the Philippines, which is still reeling from the effects of three previous typhoons.
Typhoon Nika (Toraji) caused flooding in the municipality of Buguias after heavy rainfall
Benguet | Philippines
November 11, 2024 #TyphoonToraji #NikaPH #TyphoonNika #Philippines #Buguias pic.twitter.com/2p2XXoZZhi— DISASTER TRACKER (@DisasterTrackHQ) November 11, 2024
The Philippines, which experiences about 20 major storms a year, is experiencing an increasing wave of typhoons that are becoming stronger near the coast and lasting longer over land due to climate change, according to a new study on storm patterns in the Asia-Pacific region.
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