A quarter of a million people have fled their homes as Super Typhoon Man-yi bears down on the Philippines. It will be the sixth major storm to hit the country in the past month, with lethal storm surges predicted.

The Philippines is once more bracing for a major storm as Super Typhoon Man-yi heads for the archipelago nation, carrying gusts of up to 230 kilometers per hour (around 140 miles per hour).

Man-yi is expected to make landfall late on Saturday or early Sunday in the island province of Catanduanes as the sixth major storm to hit the Philippines in the past month.

Four storms brewed in the western Pacific ocean simultaneously this month. This was the first time this had happened since records began in 1951, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Rare weather occurrence
Around 255,000 people have fled their homes ahead of Man-yi as the state weather forecaster warned of “significant to severe impacts” from the winds and “life-threatening” storm surges.

The volcanology agency also warned heavy rain could trigger flows of volcanic sediment, or lahars, from three volcanos, including Taal, south of the capital, Manila.

Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr told authorities on Friday to stock up on food and other supplies in advance and urged residents to seek refuge as heavy rain was forecast in eastern provinces and Metro Manila over the weekend.

“We have to do a little extra here. We are already in bad shape because of the saturation, the damage done to infrastructure, homes and other infrastructure,” Marcos told a situation briefing.

The five storms that have battered the Philippines in recent weeks have already killed at least 163 people and left thousands homeless while destroying crops and livestock.

Such a cluster of storms is a rare occurrence even in a region that usually sees around 20 typhoons a year, and scientists say it is a likely consequence of human-induced climate change, which is heating ocean waters to dangerous levels.

Credit: DW News