Philippines orders evacuation as world's strongest 2020 typhoon nears

Philippine officials on Saturday ordered evacuation of thousands of residents in the southern part of the main Luzon island as a category 5 storm that is the world's strongest this year approaches the Southeast Asian nation.

Typhoon Rolly (international name: Goni), with 215 kph (133 miles) sustained winds and gusts of up to 265 kph (164 mph), will make landfall on Sunday as the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines since Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) that killed more than 6,300 people in November 2013.

Pre-emptive evacuations have started in coastal and landslide-prone communities in the provinces of Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur, while Albay provincial government would order residents in risky areas to leave their homes, Gremil Naz, a local disaster official, told Super Radyo dzBB. "The strength of this typhoon is no joke."

Typhoon Quinta (international name: Molave) last week killed 22 people, mostly through drowning in provinces south of the capital Manila, which is also in the projected path of Goni, the 18th tropical storm in the country.

Authorities are facing another hurdle as social distancing needs to be imposed in evacuation centres to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The Philippines has the second highest COVID-19 infections and deaths in Southeast Asia, next only to Indonesia.

Relief goods, heavy machinery and personal protective equipment are already positioned in key areas, Filipina Grace America, mayor of Infanta town in Quezon province, told Super Radyo dzBB. "But because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our funds for calamity concerns and expenses are insufficient."

Local officials canceled port operations and barred fishers from setting sail.

Typhoon Rolly, moving westward at 20 kph (12 mph) from the Pacific Ocean, will bring intense rains over the capital and 14 provinces nearby on Saturday evening, and threats of floods and landslides.

Another typhoon, Atsani, is gaining strength just outside the Philippines. Around 20 typhoons hit the Philippines every year. —Reuters