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Super Typhoon Doxure It was packing sustained winds of maximum 185 kilometers per hour (115 mph) as it headed towards the northern tip of the main island of Luzon.
The storm, dubbed “Ejay” in the Philippines, was expected to make landfall or pass near the sparsely populated Babuyan Islands or the northeast of the country. Cagayan The agency said in its latest bulletin at 0300 GMT on Wednesday.
Then it moves towards Taiwan and southeast China.
Coastal communities in the northwest and northeastern province of Cagayan have been ordered to evacuate their homes in anticipation of storm surges reaching or exceeding three meters (10 feet).
Three of the five Babuyan Islands are inhabited, with a population of about 20,000 people.
Local Disaster Officer Charles Castile He said that people living near the shores of those islands were ordered to go inland, while fishermen were told to get their boats out of the water.
“We have sent the police to convince those who refuse to evacuate,” Castillejos told AFP.
Science and Technology Minister Renato Solidum said people needed to prepare for the typhoon because “things happen fast”.
“We need to remind our people of the importance of being prepared for storms, strong winds and possible floods,” Solidum told reporters.
Some farmers in the northern province of Isabela, on the border with Cagayan, were seen driving their cattle to safety before the storm.
“Those who live in coastal areas have been relocated to higher ground,” Constanti Foronda, in charge of disaster management in Isabella County, told local radio station DZBB.
“Our water search and rescue teams are now deployed in those areas most likely to be affected,” Foronda said.
High probability of floods and landslides
The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 severe storms each year that kill hundreds of people and keep vast areas in permanent poverty.
Scientists have warned that such storms, which also kill livestock and destroy key infrastructure, are becoming more powerful as the world warms due to climate change.
The Philippine Coast Guard said boats, including stilts and passenger ferries that provide inter-island transportation, have been ordered ashore in Luzon and the central islands due to storm warnings, stranding more than 11,000 people.
By midday Wednesday, the storm was expected to dump more than 200mm of rain.
The Meteorological Agency said heavy rains are expected in the mountainous northern provinces in the coming days, with the possibility of floods and landslides.
Roli Rapsingh, who is in charge of disaster management in Cagayan province, told DZBB that emergency food packages have been stockpiled in warehouses.
“The county has been on red alert since Saturday, and all evacuation centers, emergency operations centers in every town, and incident management teams have been activated,” he said.
“Cagayanons are used to this.”
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