(AFP)Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from coastal areas of the central and southern Philippines ahead of a strong typhoon that is expected to make landfall on Thursday afternoon. "We are getting pounded already by strong wind and rain," Evardone said. The southern province of Surigao del Sur has already started to feel the force of the storm. "The wind and rain is strong," Lita Escarez, who had evacuated from a coastal community, told DZBB. Airlines cancelled dozens of flights, while transport authorities banned sea and land travel in the central and southern Philippines, leaving thousands stranded at ports.

Source: The Standard December 16, 2021 04:04 UTC