Philippines raises typhoon alert in northern areas

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-09-22 10:48

MANILA -- Sea travel in the northern Philippines was suspended and authorities braced for possible landslides and flooding as Typhoon Hagupit gathered strength to the northeast, officials said.

A category 3 warning signal was raised across six northern provinces on the island of Luzon early on Monday, meaning a tropical cyclone was imminent. Schools in the affected area were closed and troops and police officers put on standby.

Hagupit, which is currently about 230 km (140 miles) northeast of the Philippines, is expected to reach Hong Kong on Thursday morning, according to the British-based Web site Tropical Storm Risk.

Although Hagupit, which means "lashing" in Filipino, will not make landfall in the Philippines, weather officials have warned the storm will bring heavy rains. It is moving west-morthwest at about 20 km (12 miles) per hour with gusts of up to 195 km (120 miles) per hour.

"We've alerted local disaster agencies to evacuate residents in landslide-prone areas as well as those in coastal villages to avoid loss of lives," the weather bureau said in an advisory on Monday.

Disaster officials have warned small fishing boats to stay in port and also cautioned residents of coastal areas about big waves and storm surges.

In June, about 600 people were killed and about 15 billion pesos worth of property and farms were destroyed by a typhoon that hit the central Philippines. Seven cargo vessels and a ferry carrying 800 people also sank due to waves and strong winds.

Tropical storms in the region gather intensity from the warm ocean waters and frequently develop into typhoons that hit China's Taiwan Province, Japan, the Philippines and southern China during a season that lasts from early summer to late autumn.