Villagers disembark from a makeshift raft along a river in Bacoor, Philippines, on Nov 14, 2019. (Photo: EPA-EFE) Hanoi (VNA) - At least 5,000 people have fled their homes as typhoon Kalmaegi was forecast to make landfall in the northern Philippines late November 19.
Kalmaegi was predicted to strike the nation's lightly populated far north with 120 kilometre per hour winds, the national weather service said.
Heavy rains were forecast to swell rivers, cut off roads and threaten low-lying communities in Cagayan province.
The weather agency raised landslide warnings across the mountainous interior of the country's north, also warning of floods and waves up to two metres high in coastal areas.
A dozen of domestic flights have been cancelled and schools shut down due to Kalmaegi, while small sea vessels were ordered to stay ashore with gale conditions forecast at sea.
Forecasters believed a second tropical storm could make landfall in the same province by November 21.
The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year, killing hundreds and causing huge losses in many areas in their path.
The country’s deadliest cyclone on record was super typhoon Haiyan, which left more than 7,300 people dead or missing in 2013./.
VNA
