Thousands without power as typhoon Doksuri lashes Philippines

MANILA (Reuters) : Strong winds and rain lashed the northern Philippines as Typhoon Doksuri made landfall on Wednesday, causing rivers to overflow and leaving thousands without power.

Residents in coastal communities had been evacuated ahead of the storm, which brought winds of up to 175 kilometers per hour (108 miles per hour) and is expected to sustain strength as continues its course toward Taiwan and China.

“We are being battered here,” Manual Mamba, governor of northern Cagayan province told Reuters, adding that no casualties had been reported so far.

More than 4,000 passengers were stranded at various ports in the country after sea travel was suspended, the Philippine coast guard said.

Storm warnings are in place in many parts of the northern island of Luzon, which is home to about half of the Philippines’ 110 million population. Authorities have warned of storm surges, landslides, and damage to infrastructure. Doksuri, locally known as Egay, is the fifth storm to hit the Southeast Asian nation this year, which is hit by an average 20 typhoons each year. Scientists have warned that global warming will only make storms wetter, windier and more violent.

Categorized as a super typhoon on Tuesday, Doksuri had weakened slightly on Wednesday. It is expected to brush past Taiwan and make landfall in China’s Fujian province on Friday, according to the Philippines weather bureau.