Philippine officials began evacuating thousands of villagers, shut down schools and offices and imposed a no-sail ban on May 29 as Typhoon Mawar approached the country’s northern provinces a week after battering the US territory of Guam, Report informs referring to AP.
The typhoon is packing maximum sustained winds of 155 kpm (96 mph) and gusts of up to 190 kph (118 mph) but is forecast to spare the mountainous region a direct hit. Current projections show the typhoon veering northeast toward Taiwan or southern Japan.
Although it’s expected to slow down considerably, authorities warned of dangerous tidal surges, flash floods and landslides as it blows past the northernmost province of Batanes from May 30 to May 31. Disaster-preparedness officials said the typhoon’s course could change abruptly and there was no room for complacency.
Mawar tore through Guam last week as the strongest typhoon to hit the US Pacific territory in over two decades, flipping cars, tearing off roofs and knocking down power.
Army troops, police, firefighters and volunteer groups were standing by for search and rescue operations in northern provinces and more than a million food packs have been prepared for any contingency, officials said.
More than 4,800 people have been evacuated to emergency shelters in Cagayan, Batanes and other provinces.