Philippines hit by another major typhoon, more on the way
Typhoon Usagi is the fifth major storm to hit the Philippines in a month, with the weather service warning of torrential rain and "life-threatening" coastal waves. Thousands have sought refuge in emergency shelters.
Fifth major storm in three weeks
After four storms that claimed the lives of more than 160 people, displaced millions and devastated farmland, infrastructure and thousands of homes, another typhoon has now swept across the Philippines. On Thursday, the storm hit the coast near Baggao in the north of the country's largest island, Luzon, with wind speeds of 175 kilometers per hour (about 110 miles per hour).
Destroyed bridges, desperate people
A bridge in the province of Cagayan, near the city of Gonzaga, was completely destroyed by the violent typhoon. Experts had already warned of severe storm damage in advance, particularly to buildings in coastal regions.
Climate change making storms worse
The unusually high frequency of storms — five in three weeks — hasn't given Filipinos much time to prepare themselves and take shelter. The Philippines is hit by around 20 typhoons every year. However, human-caused climate change has significantly increased the frequency and intensity of the strongest and most devastating tropical cyclones.
First 'preemptive,' then 'forced evacuations'
Around 40,000 people were evacuated in the pouring rain, with officials urging residents to leave their homes. "Yesterday it was preemptive evacuations. Now we're doing forced evacuations," local disaster official Edward Gaspar told the AFP news agency by phone hours before landfall.
Marcos: 'Sheltering could save lives'
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on people to follow the evacuation orders. "We know that it is difficult to leave your homes and possessions, but sheltering could save lives," he explained. Marcos has already visited some of the affected areas, distributing cash as emergency aid to those affected by past storms.
Damaged homes, devastated farmland
The latest typhoon has swamped a region already dealing with the aftermath of Typhoon Toraji, which hit earlier this week. Toraji caused flooding, destroyed power lines and forced more than 42,000 people to flee their homes.
'Devastating typhoon season'
Tropical storms Trami, Kong-rey and Yinxing blew through the Philippines in previous weeks. Another storm is already forming over the Pacific Ocean, and could reach the country's north over the weekend, according to meteorologists. The United Nations has called it "devastating typhoon season" for the Philippines.