MANILA
\nPhilippine authorities issued an urgent appeal on Saturday for residents in low-lying areas and coastal towns to move to safety as super typhoon Man-Yi gained strength on its approach towards the country\u2019s main Luzon island.
\nMan-Yi, the sixth tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines in a month, intensified with maximum sustained winds reaching 195 kph (121 mph) and gusts up to 240 kph, according to state weather agency PAGASA.
\nThis prompted it to raise its storm alert to its highest level for the provinces of Catanduanes and Camarines Sur in the central Bicol region.
\nAriel Nepomuceno, head of the Office of Civil Defense, urged residents in the typhoon\u2019s projected path to comply with evacuation orders as Man-Yi threatened to unleash heavy rains and powerful winds that could trigger floods and storm surges.
\n\u201cIt is more dangerous now for those in landslide-prone areas because the ground has been saturated by the consecutive typhoons,\u201d Nepomuceno said, warning that storm surges could reach 3 metres (10 ft).
\nPAGASA warned that the typhoon continues to be a \u201cpotentially catastrophic and life-threatening situation\u201d for the Bicol region.
\nMore than 500,000 people in the region\u2019s six provinces have been evacuated, a disaster official told DZRH radio, adding the number is expected to rise as local authorities mobilise more residents.
\nAs of 5 p.m. (0900 GMT), PAGASA reported that the storm was located 120 km east of Catanduanes and was projected to make landfall late Saturday night or Sunday morning.
\n\u201cIt must be emphasized that heavy rainfall, severe winds, and storm surge may still be experienced in localities outside the landfall point,\u201d PAGASA said.
\nThe main capital region Metro Manila is also likely to be affected with heavy to intense rains as early as Sunday.
\nLocally named as Pepito, Man-Yi also caused the cancellation of dozens of flights in the eastern Visayas region facing the Pacific Ocean.
\nOn average, about 20 tropical storms strike the Philippines each year, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and deadly landslides.
\nIn October, Tropical Storm Trami and Typhoon Kong-rey triggered floods and landslides that killed 162 people, with 22 still missing, government figures show.
\nThis month marked the first time in recorded history that four storms were active simultaneously in the western Pacific Ocean, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
\nNepomuceno said nearly 40,000 uniformed personnel were on standby for search, rescue and relief operations, while more than 2,000 vehicles, including navy vessels, were ready to be deployed. \u201cWe aim for zero casualties,\u201d Nepomuceno said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MANILA Philippine authorities issued an urgent appeal on Saturday for residents in low-lying areas and coastal towns to move to safety as super typhoon Man-Yi gained strength on its approach towards the country\u2019s main Luzon island. Man-Yi, the sixth tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines in a month, intensified with maximum sustained winds reaching 195 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":444050,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-444033","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n