Manila - Saba:
Philippine authorities have evacuated residents in coastal areas in anticipation of Typhoon Osagi, the fifth typhoon to hit the Philippines in less than a month.
AFP quoted local authorities as saying today that in the province of Cagayan north of the island of Luzon, where Cyclone Osagi hit, preventive evacuations have begun, with about 40,000 people expected to be evacuated, almost the same number as those evacuated preemptively before Typhoon Yinching hit the northern coast of Kagyan at the beginning of this month.
More than five thousand residents of the province remain in shelters after four storms hit the Philippines in the past three weeks, authorities said.
The National Weather Service said the cyclone made landfall in the town of Bagao with winds of 175 kilometers per hour, issuing the highest storm warning level on a five-level scale before lowering it to level two when the cyclone made landfall.
It warned that winds could cause significant damage in coastal areas highly vulnerable to the cyclone.
In recent weeks, the Philippines has been hit by four typhoons that have caused casualties and extensive material damage.