Philippines Evacuates 250,000 Ahead of Typhoon’s Arrival

The Philippines has issued evacuation orders for over 250,000 residents as Typhoon Man-yi, classified as a "severe typhoon," approaches from the east.

Emergency measures include recalling fishing vessels and commercial ships to port anticipating dangerous weather conditions.

The country’s national weather agency upgraded Man-yi’s status on Saturday, warning of catastrophic winds and potentially deadly storm surges.

Waves as high as 14 meters are expected by Sunday morning near Catanduanes, a sparsely populated island in the eastern Philippines, where the typhoon is forecast to make landfall between late Saturday and early Sunday.

Man-yi is accompanied by sustained winds of up to 215 kilometers per hour, making it the sixth typhoon to hit the Philippines in the past month. Previous typhoons in the region have claimed at least 163 lives, displaced thousands, and caused widespread agricultural and livestock losses.

As of Saturday, approximately 255,000 residents have been evacuated from areas prone to landslides, flooding, and storm surges.

Marlo Iringan, the Assistant Secretary for the Interior, emphasized the urgency of preemptive evacuations. “If preventive evacuations are needed, we must act immediately. Waiting until the danger is upon us risks not only the lives of civilians but also the safety of our rescuers,” he stated.

Authorities have mandated that all vessels, including fishing boats and cargo ships, either remain in port or return to harbor to avoid the typhoon's impact.