Super Typhoon Man-yi makes landfall in east Philippines

Hundreds of thousands fled their homes with Super Typhoon Man-yi bearing down on the Philippines. It's the sixth major storm to hit the country in the past month.

The Philippines is once more bracing for a major storm as Super Typhoon Man-yi begins to cross archipelago nation, with maximum sustained wind speeds of around 195 kilometers (121 miles) per hour and even faster wind gusts.

The country's meteorological agency PAGASA said on Saturday that it had made landfall over Panganiban on the eastern island province of Catanduanes at around 9:40 p.m. local time (1340 GMT/UTC).

It was set to move west across some of the country's more populous areas during the next 24 hours, with its center set to pass north of the capital Manila. 

Man-yi, or Pepito as it is known locally, is the  sixth major storm to hit the Philippines in the past month.

Four storms brewed in the western Pacific ocean simultaneously this month. This was the first time this had happened in November — outside of the peak cyclone season between July and October — since records began in 1951, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Rare weather occurrence

More than half a million people had left their homes ahead of Man-yi's arrival, a disaster official said in a radio interview on Saturday, as the state weather forecaster warned of "significant to severe impacts" from the winds and "life-threatening" storm surges.

The country's volcanology agency also warned heavy rain could trigger flows of volcanic sediment, or lahars, from three volcanos, including Taal, south of the capital, Manila.

Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr told authorities on Friday to stock up on food and other supplies in advance and urged residents to seek refuge as heavy rain was forecast in eastern provinces and Metro Manila over the weekend.

"We have to do a little extra here. We are already in bad shape because of the saturation, the damage done to infrastructure, homes and other infrastructure," Marcos told a situation briefing.

The five storms that have battered the Philippines in recent weeks have already killed at least 163 people and left thousands homeless while destroying crops and livestock.

Such a cluster of storms is a rare occurrence even in a region that usually sees around 20 typhoons a year, and scientists say it is a likely consequence of human-induced climate change, which is heating ocean waters to dangerous levels. 

tj, msh/dj (Reuters, AFP)