Thousands Evacuated in Philippines as Typhoon Kammuri Nears - Reports

A storm with heavy rains and a strong wind, blowing at a speed of up to 185 kilometres (115 miles) per hour, is expected to sweep the eastern coast of the country late Monday or early Tuesday, forecasters said.

Nearly 70,000 people have already left their homes in the Bicol region, the AFP reported.

"We hope there won't be any damage, but given its strength, we can't avoid it", national disaster agency's spokesman Mark Timbal said in an interview with the AFP. "We have preemptively evacuated people in areas that are in the storm's direct path."

The Typhoon Kammuri is expected to ravage the Bicol region first and then sweep across the capital city of Manila, which is currently hosting the Southeast Asian Games.

Typhoon #Kammuri (#TisoyPH )is undergoing Rapid Intensification several hours before landfall in Bicol Region.

JTWC
29W KAMMURI 191202 0000 12.9N 126.5E WPAC 90 964

JMA
955 mb / 80 knots

PAGASA - 150 kph move 20kms westward.

Kammuri is now traversing area with high OHC pic.twitter.com/GUebtTyPP0

— Emmanuel Enriquez (@WXappraiser) December 2, 2019

Update from the road as I hunt #Typhoon #KAMMURI (#TisoyPH) in the #Philippines. pic.twitter.com/CRWrSwWOM5

— Josh Morgerman (@iCyclone) December 2, 2019

Eye Of #Kammuri / #Tisoy now visible on Radar imagery. Winds estimated to be gusting up to 212kph according to JMA but it is intensifying prior it landfall Hopefully at this point everyone is in a safe place and ready to ride out the storm. https://t.co/5CwKxoB25N pic.twitter.com/lDWQcJCUQq

— Robert Speta (@RobertSpetaWX) December 2, 2019

According to the agency, rain-induced landslides and storm surges of up to three metres (10 feet) are expected to come with the typhoon.

In November, an earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale hit the country near the city of San Vicente at a depth of 10 kilometres.