The Philippines and northern Vietnam prepare for typhoons
More than 4 million people in The Philippines are poised for the arrival of destructive typhoon-force winds caused by ‘Super’ Typhoon Mangkhut.
The massive storm peaked on Wednesday and became, officially, the strongest storm of 2018 with winds up to 285 kph.
Countries across east and southeast Asia, including The Philippines, Vietnam and China are issuing emergency alerts and ordering evacuations as both Mangkhut and a second storm, Typhoon Barijat, hit the region.
A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for almost one-third of the world’s annual tropical cyclones – Wikipedia
Around 12,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying parts of China’s Guangdong province and shipping halted ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Barijat which is now crossing the coast and into northern Vietnam.
Mangkhut, stronger than Hurricane Florence which has been battering the US East Coast, is expected to make landfall on Luzon island tomorrow. Current wind speeds have been measured up to 285 kilometers per hour (180 mph).
