Powerful typhoon approaches Philippines, evacuations expected

A powerful typhoon shifted and abruptly gained strength Sunday as it blew closer to the northeastern Philippines, prompting evacuations from high-risk villages and the capital, which could be sidewiped by the storm, officials said.

The Typhoon Noru was soaring at sea about 71 miles east of Infanta town in Quezon province with sustained winds of 121 miles per hour and gusts of up to 149 mph at mid-afternoon. Forecasters expect it to smash into the coast later in the day.

Noru pushed down a high-pressure area to its north while barreling toward the archipelago. Vicente Malano, head of the country's weather agency, told the Associated Press that it gained considerable strength, from a storm with sustained winds of 53 mph Saturday into a super typhoon just 24 hours later in an explosive intensification at sea.

Thousands of villagers were evacuated from the typhoon's path, as well as from mountainside villages prone to landslides and flash floods, and in coastal communities that could be hit by tidal surges as high as 10 feet in Quezon province, including Polillo island and nearby Aurora province.

The weather agency warned of the effects of storm surge and high waves on the coast that could cause life-threatening and damaging inundation or flooding.

In Manila slum district of Tondo, some residents left their homes with bags of belongings and hurriedly walked to a nearby evacuation center as the sky darkened and rains started to fall.

"The Typhoon is strong and we live by the sea," said 50-year-old Marilen Yubatan, who left her two young daughters in their shanty. If I fall into the water, I don't know where I will end up with my children. Melchor Avenilla Jr.Avenilla Jr., who heads Quezon's disaster response office, said law enforcers were under orders to forcibly move people who refuse to leave their homes. Avenilla told the AP by phone that we've been able to do this by just appealing to people.

Several provinces and cities, including the densely populated Manila, suspended classes and government work Sunday and Monday. The eye of the Typhoon could pass about 25 to 30 miles from metropolitan Manila, which is nearly a direct hit, Malano said.

The coast guard said that fishing boats and inter-island and cargo ferries were not allowed to port as a precaution, stranding cargo trucks and more than 2,500 passengers. More than 30 flights at Manila's airport, mostly bound for domestic destinations, were canceled.

The typhoon is predicted to sweep through the main Luzon Island overnight and into the South China Sea on Monday. It is on track to hit Vietnam later in the week, still maintaining its powerful winds.

Each year, about 20 storms and typhoons batter the Philippines. The archipelago is also located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region along most of the Pacific Ocean rim where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur, making the Southeast Asian nation one of the world s most disaster-prone.

In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest recorded tropical cyclones in the world, left more than 7,300 dead or missing, flattened entire villages, swept ships inland and displaced more than 5 million in the central Philippines - well south of Noru's path.