100,000 evacuated as Super Typhoon Rai makes landfall in the Philippines | DW News

Typhoon Rai made landfall in the Philippines on Thursday, bringing with it sustained winds of up to 195 kilometers (120 miles) an hour. Nearly 100,000 people fled their homes in advance of the storm, which the weather bureau has warned could cause “heavy to very heavy damage to structures,“ as well as severe flooding and landslides. Scores of flights have been canceled and dozens of ports temporarily closed, stranding some 4,000 passengers and ferry and cargo ship workers. The typhoon hit land on the southern island of Siargao at 1:30 p.m. local time (0530 UTC), according to the state weather forecaster. Rai, a so-called super typhoon that would be classed as a category 5 hurricane in the US, is expected to weaken slightly as it moves across the Visayas region, and the Mindanao and Palawan islands. It is then forecast to leave the Philippines over the South China Sea and head toward Vietnam. The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons every year. Scientists have warned that such weather ev