The Philippines is once again bracing for a major storm as Super Typhoon Man-yi heads toward the archipelago nation, packing winds of up to 230 kilometers per hour (about 140 miles per hour).

Man-yi is expected to make landfall late Saturday or early Sunday in the island province of Catanduanes as the sixth major storm to hit the Philippines in the past month.

Four storms brewed in the western Pacific at the same time this month. This was the first time this had happened since records began in 1951, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Rare weather event

About 255,000 people have fled their homes ahead of Man-yi as the state weather forecast warned of “significant to severe impacts” from the winds and “life-threatening” storm surges.

The Volcanology Bureau also warned heavy rains could trigger flows of volcanic sediment, or lahars, from three volcanoes, including Taal, south of the capital Manila.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told authorities on Friday to stock up on food and other supplies in advance and urged residents to seek shelter as heavy rain was forecast in eastern provinces and Metro Manila over the weekend.

“We have to do a little extra here. We are already in bad shape because of the saturation, the damage to infrastructure, homes and other infrastructure,” Marcos said at a situation briefing.

The five storms that have hit the Philippines in recent weeks have already killed at least 163 people and left thousands homeless while destroying crops and livestock.

Such a cluster of storms is a rare occurrence even in a region that typically experiences about 20 typhoons a year, and scientists say it is a likely consequence of human-induced climate change, which is warming ocean waters to dangerous levels.

tj/lo (Reuters, AFP)