Thousands evacuated as Philippines warns of flooding, landslide risks from Typhoon Mawar

Philippine officials began evacuating thousands of villagers, shutting down schools and offices and imposing a no-sail ban on Monday as Typhoon Mawar approached the country’s northern provinces a week after battering the US territory of Guam.

The typhoon is packing maximum sustained winds of 155kpm (96mph) and gusts of up to 190kph (118mph) but is forecast to spare the mountainous region a direct hit. Current projections show the typhoon veering northeast toward Taiwan or southern Japan.

Although it’s expected to slow down considerably, authorities warned of dangerous tidal surges, flash floods and landslides as it blows past the northernmost province of Batanes from Tuesday to Wednesday. Disaster-preparedness officials said the typhoon’s course could change abruptly and there was no room for complacency.

“Even if the sun is up, the weather is so unpredictable nowadays and could change anytime so we should always stay on the side of safety”, Assistant Secretary Raffy Alejandro of the Office of Civil Defence said. “We’re talking here of potential threats to lives”.

Mawar tore through Guam last week as the strongest typhoon to hit the US Pacific territory in over two decades, flipping cars, tearing off roofs and knocking down power.

“These typhoons, earthquakes and natural calamities have been a part of our lives”, Batanes Vice Governor Ignacio Villa told the AP by telephone. “We cannot afford not to prepare because that would potentially mean the loss of lives and major damage”.

Army troops, police, firefighters and volunteer groups were standing by for search and rescue operations in northern provinces and more than a million food packs have been prepared for any contingency, officials said.