An aerial view of houses destroyed by Super Typhoon Rai in the Philippines. (AFP)At least 23 people have been killed in the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, officials said on Saturday (Dec 18), with "alarming" reports of destruction on islands that bore the brunt of the storm. Rai was a super typhoon when it smashed into the popular tourist island of Siargao on Thursday, packing maximum sustained winds of 195kmh. "Walls and roofs were torn and blown off by Odette like paper," Ms. Bag-ao said, using the local name for the typhoon. Rai hit the Philippines late in the typhoon season - most cyclones typically develop between July and October.

Source: The Standard December 18, 2021 20:30 UTC