The powerful typhoon churning in the western Pacific Ocean has swept past lightly-populated islands off the northern Philippines. It will soon aim at Taiwan, Hong Kong, and southern mainland China. As of late Thursday, Doksuri, known in the Philippines as Egay, was packing sustained winds of 180 kilometers per hour (105 mph), enough to be considered a “strong” typhoon on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
A day after it slammed into the country’s northern island of Luzon, Doksuri prompted evacuations across dozens of towns and cities and caused landslides that swept away cars and homes. Thousands of people remain without power in areas affected by the storm. At least seven people have been killed, and tens of thousands displaced, authorities say.
Manila’s capital, schools, and government offices were closed, and a three-day transport workers’ strike slowed traffic. The city’s subway system was operating with reduced frequency, and passengers were advised to check with transport authorities for updates. The Philippine weather bureau warned of violent and life-threatening conditions, particularly in mountainous areas.
Heavy rains caused flooding and mudslides in some of the country’s most populous provinces, while the storm has disrupted air and sea travel and brought down electricity lines. The agency said it is also affecting agricultural activities and putting livestock at risk.
Doksuri, which made landfall near the northeastern Philippine island of Fuga on Wednesday, was expected to reach the coast of southeastern China by Friday, state radio reported, citing Fujian provincial weather authorities. The typhoon could weaken into a tropical depression as it moves north-northwestward over the South China Sea on July 27 and 28, forecasters said.
The Philippines has raised its storm warning level and begun evacuating coastal communities as it braces for a potentially devastating blow from the massive storm. Doksuri has already ripped through the northern island of Luzon, blowing off tin roofs and causing rivers to overflow, flooding villages and leaving more than 26,000 homeless.
Meanwhile, Taiwan issued a storm warning for the south and east, shutting schools and offices and urging residents to monitor the typhoon’s progress. In the southern port of Kaohsiung, authorities rushed to collect hundreds of containers that drifted from the stricken cargo ship Angel.
Hong Kong issued a yellow alert for typhoon impact, while the Chinese city of Shenzhen posted a red alert, its highest on the four-tier weather warning system. The Red alert is reserved for the most dangerous situations and advises people to stay indoors and avoid outdoor work if possible. The city’s metro system was operating with reduced frequency due to high passenger numbers, and buses ran on an amended schedule. China’s meteorological administration also warned of heavy rainfall over some parts of the country and issued a flood alert in the southeast province of Guangdong. In Hong Kong, a ferry was grounded on a pier, and the airport was closed.
