Authorities in the Philippines reported that a powerful storm on Wednesday killed at least one person and caused extensive flooding and landslides.
Typhoon Doksuri, also known as Egay in the Philippines, has caused floods in five different provinces and more than a dozen rain-induced landslides, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
In the northern and central regions of Calabarzon as well as Western Visayas, the agency reports that two individuals were injured and one victim was killed.
At 3:10 a.m. local time, or 3:10 p.m. ET, the storm made ashore near to the remote northern Fuga Island, according to Pagasa, the Philippine weather office.
According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre, Doksuri landed with winds of roughly 220 kilometres per hour (140 mph), which is equivalent to a category 4 Atlantic hurricane, although having lost some of its super typhoon intensity.
The largest and most populous island in the Philippines, Luzon, was predicted to experience violent and life-threatening circumstances as torrential rains ravaged the nation.
According to Pasgasa, the typhoon’s 680-kilometer (420-mile) rainband dropped up to 16 inches (0.4 metres) of rain, with the potential to rise to 20 inches (0.5 metres).
Additionally, authorities issued a 3 metre (almost 10 foot) tide surge warning.
In anticipation of gusts topping 200 kph (124 mph), local governments started evacuating some residents of the storm’s route on Tuesday.
More than 12,000 people had been evacuated from coastal and mountain villages by Tuesday evening, according to the governor of Cagayan province, which closed its offices and suspended classes.
According to Governor Cagayan Manuel Mamba, “It’s a powerful typhoon and we want to take as many preemptive measures as we can.”
Additionally, from Wednesday through Friday, authorities cancelled at least 12 domestic flights.
Although Taiwan and China are preparing for the possibility of significant rains and severe winds, the typhoon is predicted to decrease as it moves towards the northwest.
Taiwan postponed some of its annual military exercises on Tuesday due to the typhoon as it prepared for what may be the worst storm to hit the autonomous island in four years.
Eastern Taiwan is currently being impacted by the typhoon’s outer bands, according to the Central Weather Bureau of the island. As it moves northwest, it is anticipated to continue to weaken until it is only a category 1 hurricane, with the possibility of making a second landfall in the next two days on China’s southern coastline.
Doksuri is expected to make landfall in the southeast coast, where the provinces of Fujian and Guangdong converge, by Friday, prompting China’s National Meteorological Centre to issue a typhoon emergency warning at the highest level on Wednesday.
In order to prevent flooding of farms, Chinese officials have instructed fishing vessels to return to port immediately.