Fourth typhoon in a month makes landfall in Philippines

file

Typhoon Nika made landfall in the Philippines' northeastern Aurora province on Monday after thousands were ordered to evacuate ahead of the fourth typhoon to hit the country in a month. 

Nearly 700,000 people are still sheltering at evacuation centres or with relatives after their homes were destroyed by tropical cyclones Trami, Kong-rey and Yinxing, according to government figures.

The typhoon, internationally knows as Typhoon Toraji) made landfall with sustained winds of up to 130 kilometers (81 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 180 kph (112 mph), the typhoon was expected to barrel northwestward across Luzon, weaken as it crosses a mountain range and then blow into the South China Sea.

More than 2,500 villages had been ordered to evacuate their homes on Sunday ahead of the typhoon's landfall. 

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said that the last two storms claimed 159 lives, damaged thousands of homes and farmland, and affected nearly nine million people.

Nika is the 14th weather disturbance to impact the country this year and is highly prone to natural disasters.

After Toraji, a tropical depression could also potentially strike the region as early as Thursday night, weather forecaster Veronica Torres told AFP.

Tropical Storm Man-yi, currently east of Guam, may also threaten the Philippines next week, she added.

xxx

More from International News

  • Israeli attacks on Gaza killed 60 people in 24 hours

    Israeli occupation forces committed multiple massacres against families in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, resulting in the killing of at least 60 Palestinians and the injury of 162 others, according to medical reports.

  • Trump fires National Security Agency director

    U.S. President Donald Trump fired General Timothy Haugh as director of the National Security Agency on Thursday, according to two officials familiar with the decision, and congressional Democrats denounced the removal of the nonpartisan official from a top security post.

  • Israel steps up Syria strikes, says Turkey aims for 'protectorate'

    Israel stepped up airstrikes on Syria, declaring the attacks a warning to the new rulers in Damascus as it accused their ally Turkey of trying to turn the country into a Turkish protectorate.

  • US sending Israel 20,000 assault rifles that Biden delayed

    The Trump administration moved forward with the sale of more than 20,000 US-made assault rifles to Israel last month, according to a document seen by Reuters, pushing ahead with a sale that the administration of former president Joe Biden had delayed.

Blogs