Typhoon Megi bearing down on northern Philippines

Typhoon Megi bearing down on northern Philippines

2010-10-18 06:40:29 GMT+7 (ICT)

MANILA (BNO NEWS) -- Typhoon Megi, with maximum sustained winds of 225 km/hr (140 mph), was barreling toward the northern Philippine island of Luzon on Monday where seven million people were warned to prepare for the worst.

The Philippines Weather Service said Megi "is approaching Cagayan province at a speed of 24 kilometers per hour with gusts up to 260 kilometers per hour (162 mph) as a category Four typhoon."

The last time that the authorities gave a typhoon the same level was in late November 2006 to typhoon "Durian" which caused some 700 deaths.

"We alerted residents in low and mountainous areas of flooding and landslides," the Weather Service said in a statement carried by local media.

According to the director of the National Council for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction, Benito Ramos, authorities have evacuated several villages along the Cagayan river. Civil protection teams have begun also to evacuate people from coastal villages.

"This is like preparing for war," Ramos told the press. "We know the past lessons and we're aiming for zero casualties." The government has alerted the civil protection services in 19 provinces in northern Philippines.

"Megi" is the 10th typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-10-18