Preventive measures and sheltering have borne fruit so far. Super Typhoon Man-yi did not cause any casualties in the Philippines. On the other hand, it leaves in its wake uprooted trees, downed power lines and torn-off tin roofs in the archipelago.
This Sunday, Man-yi blew again with winds measured at 185 km/h maximum after making landfall on Saturday evening in the eastern province of Catanduanes. The local meteorological agency measured peaks at 325 km/h, hence the classification of the phenomenon in the category of super typhoons.
Waves up to 14 m high crashed onto the Catanduanes coastline. Storm surges of more than 3 m are also likely to hit the capital Manila and other vulnerable coastal regions within 48 hours. These waves correspond to the rise in sea level at the time of the passage of a cyclone. This is due to both atmospheric pressure and wind gusts.
Six major storms in one month
More than 650,000 people fled their homes as the weather monster approached, described as “potentially catastrophic and deadly” by authorities. “No casualties were reported, perhaps because people followed evacuation orders,” Roberto Monterola, head of relief operations in Catanduanes province, told AFP (Agence France presse). “All cities suffered damage, but those in the North are expected to have more problems,” he added.
“It’s still a little dangerous, there are still gusts of wind and a lot of debris,” said the mayor of one locality, assuring that he had never seen a typhoon “so powerful”. “Before, we only received signal number three or four, but now the typhoons reach signal number five,” adds a resident, referring to the meteorological services’ five-level wind warning system.
Man-yi is the sixth major storm to hit the Philippines in less than a month. Previous attacks have killed at least 163 people, left thousands homeless, destroyed crops and killed livestock. Scientists claim that climate change increases the intensity of storms, causing more heavy rain, flash flooding and more violent gusts.
The most populated island reached
Man-yi weakened slightly before falling on Luzon, the most populated island and economic engine of the country where Manila is located. A Level 2 alert has been issued in several provinces in eastern coastal Luzon. Tourists have left the seaside resorts. On its predicted path, Man-yi is expected to cross north of Manila and sweep across the South China Sea on Monday, as shown in this map provided by the US Navy. The typhoon is moving from east to west.
Every year, around 20 major storms and deadly typhoons hit the Philippines or its surrounding waters. But it is rare for several events of this type to occur in such a short period of time. Man-yi hits the Philippines late in the typhoon season, with most cyclones developing between July and October. The Japan Meteorological Agency said this is the first time such a phenomenon has been observed in November since its records began in 1951.