Super typhoon Man-Yi makes landfall on Philippines main island

Super Typhoon Man-Yi has made its way to the Philippines, causing significant concern and disruption across the region. This powerful storm made its second landfall on the main island of Luzon, with meteorologists warning of potentially 'life-threatening storm surges,' heavy rainfall, and severe winds. Man-Yi, which is also known as Pepito in the local language, first struck the eastern island of Cantanduanes at 21:40 local time on Saturday, with maximum sustained winds reaching an astonishing 195 kilometers per hour, equivalent to 121 miles per hour. In response to the storm's approach, over a million residents have been ordered to evacuate their homes since the initial warnings were issued. This marks the sixth typhoon to impact the Philippines within just a month, and tragically, at least 160 lives have been lost due to the previous storms. The super typhoon has already caused destruction in Cantanduanes, uprooting trees, damaging buildings, and bringing down power lines. As it continued its path into the province of Aurora and across Luzon, it maintained its strength, with gusts reported to peak at 305 kilometers per hour, or 189 miles per hour. The government has forecasted further heavy rainfall from Man-Yi, predicting that at least 200 millimeters, or 7. 8 inches, could fall by Monday. This raises serious concerns about 'life-threatening' flooding and catastrophic mudslides, putting millions of people at risk from storm surges. Fortunately, the capital city of Manila, home to around 15 million residents, is not expected to be directly in the storm's path. However, earlier on Sunday, numerous flights were canceled as a precautionary measure due to the impending storm. Many families, including those from the indigenous Aeta tribe, have been seen evacuating to safer locations. In one evacuation center in Legaspi City, Albay province, families were preparing for the storm, with children dressed in raincoats and adults helping each other. Glenda Llamas, a resident who had to leave her home, expressed her fears, stating, 'We are terrified of the typhoon, as it may intensify and the waters can rise. ' She emphasized the importance of evacuating early to avoid being trapped later. Another evacuee, Melchor Bilay, shared his anxiety about past disasters, saying, 'We already have a lot of phobia due to the previous calamities that happened here like floods, strong winds and other disasters. ' The head of civil defense, Ariel Nepomuceno, has urged everyone living in the storm's projected path to comply with evacuation orders, highlighting the increased danger for those in landslide-prone areas due to the saturated ground from previous storms. While typhoons are not uncommon in the Philippines, the frequency of these storms in such a short period is unusual. Just last month, Tropical Storm Trami brought an entire month's worth of rain to large areas of northern Philippines, resulting in numerous fatalities. This was followed by Typhoon Kong-rey, which also claimed lives. The recent storms have raised concerns about the increasing intensity and frequency of storms, a situation exacerbated by climate change. The United Nations' climate change body, the IPCC, has indicated that while the overall number of tropical cyclones may not rise, the storms that do occur are likely to be more intense, with higher rainfall rates and stronger winds. This means that a greater proportion of storms will reach the most severe categories, posing a significant threat to communities across the region.