(Manila) A super typhoon is heading towards the northern Philippines on Tuesday, the archipelago’s meteorological agency announced, triggering evacuation orders to shelter people living on the coast.
The typhoon, named Doksuriwith winds blowing at 185 km/h, is heading for a group of three sparsely populated islands off the northern tip of the main island of Luzon, the agency said.
It is expected to make landfall or pass very close to the Babuyan Islands or northeast Cagayan Province by Wednesday afternoon, where more than 200 millimeters of rain is expected on Tuesday, the agency said in its latest bulletin at 8 p.m. ET.
It should then sweep Taiwan and eastern China.
Three of the five Babuyan Islands are inhabited, with a population of around 20,000 people.
According to Charles Castillejos, local disaster management official, the populations living on the coast of these islands have been ordered to leave their homes and the fishermen to take their boats out of the water.
“We sent the police to convince the die-hards who refuse to evacuate,” added Mr. Castillejos.
The meteorological agency warned that waves of more than three meters could break on the coasts.
Heavy rain is expected in the mountainous northern provinces in the coming days, with landslides “very likely”, the meteorological agency added.
The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 major storms each year, causing the death of hundreds of people, livestock and accentuating the state of poverty of vast regions.
Scientists have warned that these storms, which also destroy critical infrastructure, are becoming increasingly powerful due to climate change.