Powerful typhoon Doksuri tears through northern Philippines
Under alert level 5, the state weather agency warned of "violent, life-threatening conditions" as severe winds and heavy rain pounded the lightly populated region.
More than 4,000 passengers were stranded at various ports in the country after sea travel was suspended, the Philippine coast guard said. / Photo: AFP
A powerful storm has hit the northern Philippines, toppling trees, knocking out power and dumping heavy rain as thousands sheltered with neighbours or in emergency evacuation centres.
At least one person drowned in the province of Rizal in the wake of the typhoon, the national disaster agency said on Wednesday.
Typhoon Doksuri was packing maximum sustained wind speeds of 175 kilometres (109 miles) an hour as it hovered over waters around Fuga Island, off the northern tip of the main island of Luzon, the state weather agency said in its latest update at 0000 GMT.
The agency warned of "violent, life-threatening conditions" as severe winds and heavy rain pounded the lightly populated region. There have been no reports of casualties.
Doksuri had been a super typhoon as it swept across the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, but weakened as it neared the Philippines.
"The wind and rain were so strong overnight I could not sleep well," Rey Aguinaldo, a retired government official in the coastal municipality of Pasuquin in Ilocos Norte province, said.
"When I got up today I saw fallen trees and broken branches outside. We have no electricity."
Around 12,000 people were evacuated from their homes in Cagayan province, including 431 in the Babuyan islands, following warnings of three-metre high storm surges, provincial disaster official Ruelie Rapsing said.
Doksuri is expected to move northwest at a speed of 10-15 kph (6-9 mph) and enter the northeastern part of the South China Sea starting Wednesday night until Thursday morning, said China's Central Meteorological Administration.
Flooding in several areas
Fuga is one of the five islands that make up the tiny archipelago.
Flooding has also been reported in the coastal municipalities of Lallo, Pamplona and Claveria.
Rapsing said some people sheltered with neighbours who had concrete houses, while others were taken to municipal halls.
"The roof of the Sanchez Mira municipal hall was blown off," Rapsing said.
"The windows of an evacuation centre there also broke so we had to move them to multi-purpose halls back in their villages."
Doksuri is expected to weaken further as it moves across the South China Sea towards southeastern China.
The typhoon would also enhance seasonal monsoon rains in central and northern provinces.
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