[King Gizzard]

Most powerful tropical storm ever recorded expected to hit the Phillipines tomorrow. Probably spell mass damage/lives

Typhoon Haiyan bears down on Philippines
Most powerful storm to hit the western Pacific this year expected to make landfall on Friday between Samar and Leyte


theguardian.com, Thursday 7 November 2013 09.34 GMT

Residents evacuated ahead of typhoon Haiyan
Residents of Legazpi city, south of Manila, are evacuated before the arrival of super typhoon Haiyan. Photograph: Charism Z Sayat/AFP/Getty Images

Authorities have grounded ferry services and called in fishing boats as an approaching super typhoon, the most powerful to hit the western Pacific this year, has gained strength on a path set for the central Philippines.

With centre winds of 135 miles per hour and gusts of up to 155mph, typhoon Haiyan, rated a category-five storm (the most severe) was moving west/north-west at 18mph in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday. It was expected to make landfall on Friday between the central islands of Samar and Leyte.

"I have issued a call to prepare for the worst," said Ben Evardone, a member of congress representing Eastern Samar province, one of the areas likely to be hit.

"We have mobilised all LGUs [local government units] and all resources for any contingency. There were already forced and pre-emptive evacuations in some danger areas," he said.

Areas in the path of the storm were already experiencing strong winds and heavy rains, he said.

The coastguard has warned deep-sea fishing boats to seek shelter or return to port. Schools and some offices are shut and power and communication lines switched off.

Officials have used bullhorns to tell residents of coastal and upland villages to move to safer areas, while some people have been tying their houses on to stable posts. Trees have been trimmed and boats dragged on to shore.

The state weather bureau raised storm alerts on coconut-growing Samar and Leyte. Officials in a dozen other central provinces also began stockpiling food, water and other relief supplies.

In September, typhoon Usagi, also a category-five storm, battered the Philippines' northernmost island of Batanes before wreaking more damage in southern China.

An average of 20 typhoons hit the Philippines every year. In 2011, typhoon Washi killed 1,200 people, displaced 300,000 and destroyed more than 10,000 homes.

Bopha, the strongest storm to hit last year, flattened three coastal towns on the southern island of Mindanao, killing 1,100 people and destroying crops, property and infrastructure worth $1.04bn.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...powerful-storm