Philippines, reeling after deadly storm, braces for new typhoon
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Photo: AP
Manila: Days after a storm devastated the country's most populous island, killing at least 139 people and leaving dozens more missing, the Philippines prepared for the potential impact of another powerful typhoon sweeping the country's north on Wednesday.
Kong-rey, also known locally as Leon, reached super-typhoon strength on Wednesday and was predicted to bring strong winds and heavy rainfall as it skirted the northernmost province of Batanes, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, the country's weather bureau.
A moderate-to-high risk of "life-threatening coastal flooding due to storm surge with peak heights exceeding 3.0 meters" warning was issued by the PAGASA. Kong-rey on Batanes' low-lying beaches and the surrounding Babuyan group of islands, which are home to over 20,000 people combined, maybe the cause of this. Signal No. 4 was assigned to Batanes, indicating that "the situation is potentially very destructive to the community.”
“Forced and mandatory evacuations in areas identified with high risk (are) enforced as the country prepares for the anticipated adverse weather condition brought by ‘Leon,’” the Department of Defense said in a statement, the Arab news reported.
On Thursday, the super typhoon will make landfall over Taiwan's eastern coast after passing close to the Philippines. The 12th cyclone of the year was on its way days after Tropical Storm Trami ravaged the northeast of the Philippines, causing landslides and floods in entire towns. The largest and most populated island in the Philippines, Luzon, saw the worst damage.
According to authorities, more than 300,000 people who were displaced last week were still in emergency shelters on Wednesday, while towns and cities in the Bicol region of southern Luzon were still underwater.
In 2024, it was the most deadly tropical cyclone to strike the Philippines. According to the 2024 World Risk Report, the country in Southeast Asia is the most vulnerable to natural disasters. Every year, millions of Filipinos are impacted by storms and typhoons, which are becoming more severe and unpredictable as a result of climate change.
