Biggest storm of the year slams Philippines Thousands of people flee their villages as meteorologists warn Typhoon Haiyan is set to cause catastrophic damage. Last updated: 07 Nov 2013 23:48 Governor of Bohol island province in central Philippines said he feared that the eye would hit it [Reuters] The worlds strongest typhoon of the year has slammed into the Philippines and was poised to be the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded at landfall, a weather expert said. There will be catastrophic damage, said Jeff Masters, a former hurricane meteorologist who is meteorology director at the private firm Weather Underground. The US Navys Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Hawaii shortly before landfall said Typhoon Haiyans maximum sustained winds were 314 kilometers per hour, with gusts up to 379kph. There arent too many buildings constructed that can withstand that kind of wind, Masters said. The local weather bureau had a lower reading, saying the storms speed at landfall had sustained winds at 234kph, with gusts of 275kph. The bureau takes measures based on longer periods of time. Thousands of people have been evacuated villages in the countrys central regions, including a province devastated by an earthquake last month. The typhoon intensified and accelerated on Thursday as it moved closer to the country, with sustained winds of 225km/h, and is expected to hit the eastern province of Samar early Friday, government forecaster Buddy Javier said. President Benigno Aquino III gave warning to people to leave high-risk areas, including 100 coastal communities where forecasters said the storm surge could reach up to seven metres. He urged seafarers to stay in port. War-like preparations Aquino also assured the public of war-like preparations: three C-130 air force planes, 32 helicopters and 20 ships were on standby. No typhoon can bring Filipinos to their knees if were united, he said in a televised address. Edgardo Chatto, governor of Bohol island province in the central Philippines, where an earthquake in October killed more than 200 people, said soldiers, police and rescue units were helping displaced residents, including thousands staying in small tents, move to shelters. Bohol is not forecast to receive a direct hit but is expected to be battered by strong winds and rain, government forecaster Jori Loiz said. Haiyan is forecast to barrel through the countrys central region on Friday and Saturday before blowing toward the South China Sea over the weekend, heading toward Vietnam. It is the 24th such storm to hit the Philippines this year. #bagyoyolanda
Posted on: Fri, 08 Nov 2013 00:04:45 +0000
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