Typhoon Doksuri, which swept through the northern Philippines on Wednesday, caused heavy rains and violent winds, killing at least one person and displacing more than 11,000 people.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Doksuri made landfall before dawn Wednesday over Fuga island in Cagayan province in northern Philippines. It carried winds with a maximum speed of 175 kilometers per hour and could potentially reach 240 kilometers per hour later.
Typhoon Doksuri's winds caused power outages, uprooted trees and damaged several houses. Additionally, dozens of domestic flights in the Philippines were canceled and maritime travel was suspended in the affected areas, leaving 4,600 people stranded at the ports.
Typhoon Doksuri is expected to be weaken slightly as it exits the Philippines tomorrow (Thursday). It is anticipated to cross the Taiwan Strait and make landfall near Fujian, China, on Friday.
In China, the national observatory on Wednesday renewed an orange alert for Typhoon Doksuri, as the fifth typhoon of this year is expected to bring gales and heavy rain to the southern and eastern parts of the country.
The typhoon, observed over the ocean about 350 km south of Taiwan at 5 a.m. Wednesday, is expected to move northwest at a speed of 10 to 15 km per hour, the National Meteorological Center said in a statement.
It will enter the northeastern part of the South China Sea between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning and then make landfall in coastal areas of Fujian and Guangdong on Friday morning, the center said.
The meteorological center has issued an advisory suspending both indoor and outdoor gatherings, as well as dangerous outdoor operations, and recommended the timely transfer of people living in vulnerable housing.
It has also called for emergency typhoon preparations and precautions against possible geological disasters.
China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system for typhoons, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
Source: Qatar News Agency