ABS-CBN in Manila reported that millions of Filipinos are seeking refuge as super typhoon Haiyan made landfall on the Philippines’ cenral islands today.
ABC News quoting other media in the Philippines reported that at least four people were killed
“The super typhoon likely made landfall with winds near 195 mph (313 kph). This makes Haiyan the strongest tropical cyclone (typhoon) on record to make landfall,” said Jeff Masters, a hurricane expert and director of meteorology at U.S.-based Weather Underground.
According to the Weather Underground, the strongest recorded typhoon, cyclone or hurricane to make landfall to date was Hurricane Camille in 1969, which hit Mississippi with 190 mph winds.
Roughly a million people moved to areas of shelter in more than 20 provinces after Philippine President Benigno Aquino appealed to people yesterday to evacuate from danger spots, such as river banks, coastal villages and mountain slopes in Haiyan’s path.
Commuter services, airlines, schools, offices and shops in the central Philippines have been closed, with hospitals, soldiers and aid relief workers on standby for rescue operations.
Experts forecast that Haiyan will carve a path to Cebu, the second-largest city in the Philippines, passing to the south of the country’s capital Manila. Haiyan is expected to pass over the Philippines by late Saturday and move into the South China Sea, where it could become even stronger and threaten Vietnam or China.
To read more about the storm, see the article from ABS-CBN.
