MANILA – Philippine authorities ordered all ships back to shore and people in coastal communities to leave their homes on Nov. 16 as Typhoon Man-yi approached the storm-weary archipelago nation, with forecasters expecting it to intensify before making landfall.

Man-yi will be the sixth major storm to hit the Philippines in the past month, killing at least 163 people, leaving thousands homeless and wiping out crops and livestock.

With gusts of up to 215 km/h, Man-yi was on track to slam into the sparsely populated island province of Catanduanes later on November 16 or early on November 17.

About 255,000 people have already been evacuated from their homes in regions vulnerable to landslides, floods and storm surges, Interior Minister Marlo Iringan said on November 16.

Speaking on local radio station DWPM, Iringan appealed for people to listen to the news, follow instructions from local officials and leave their homes early to avoid putting lives at risk.

“If preemptive evacuation is required, let’s do it and not wait for the hour of danger before we evacuate or seek help, because if we did, we will be endangering not only our lives but also the lives of our rescuers,” he said. .

Scientists have warned that climate change is increasing the intensity of storms, leading to heavier rain, flooding and stronger gusts of wind.

About 20 major storms and typhoons hit the Southeast Asian nation or its surrounding waters each year, killing scores of people, but it is rare for several such weather events to occur in a small window.

Evacuation centers were being stocked on the island of Catanduanes in the typhoon-prone Bicol region, which will be hit by Man-yi when it makes landfall.

More than 400 people were crammed into the provincial government building in the capital Virac, and new arrivals were sent to a gym, provincial disaster official Roberto Monterola told AFP.

“Rawi’s gym has a history of typhoon damage so people are afraid to go there,” Monterola said. “The upper walls are made of glass that can shatter if hit by a strong gust of wind and they can be damaged.”

Mr. Monterola said he had sent soldiers to force about 100 households in two coastal villages near Virac to move inland because of fears that storm surges could flood their homes.

“Regardless of the exact landfall point, heavy rainfall, strong winds and storm surges may occur in areas outside the predicted landfall zone,” the Nov. 16 weather forecast said.

Man-yi will continue to intensify as it approaches the Philippines and could “reach super typhoon status in the next few hours before landfall tonight,” the forecaster said.

All vessels – from fishing boats to oil tankers – have been ordered to stay in port or return to shore.

The Volcanology Bureau also warned heavy rain dumped by Man-yi could trigger flows of volcanic sediment, or lahars, from three volcanoes, including Taal, south of Manila. AFP