Philippines super typhoon

Thousands of people were left stranded in the Philippines on Friday after flights and sea travel were cancelled as the sovereign island country prepared for a super typhoon's landfall.

Others, who were able to move away from coastal areas, sought shelter in churches, schools and other makeshift evacuation centers. Filipino forecasts showed that the country's eighteenth typhoon of this year may hit Eastern Samar province late Saturday or early Sunday.

Strongest this year

Typhoon Hagupit - or Ruby - which would be the strongest to hit the country this year, strengthened overnight, increasing its winds to 215 kilometers (134 miles) per hour and gusts of 250 kph (155 mph).

After the Filipino government warned that Hagupit's 700-kilometer-wide (435-mile) weather pattern would affect 55 of the nation's 85 provinces, long queues were seen at shops and petrol stations as people stocked up on supplies.

Officials have warned the storm will bring heavy rain, storm surges and the risk of landslides.

Ominous forecasts

Forecasts have shown that the typhoon is likely to first impact the city of Tacloban and eastern provinces, which were devastated by super typhoon Haiyan in November last year. More than 7,000 people were killed or reported as missing in the area, much of which still lies in rubble.

A forecast from the US military's Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Hawaii, however, said Hagupit may veer northward after making landfall and potentially pose a threat to the Philippines' capital, Manila, which has a population of more than 12 million people.

Memory of Haiyan

Haiyan was considered the world's strongest-ever typhoon to make landfall when it slammed into the Philippines last November. At peak strength, it brought maximum winds of 313.8 kph (195mph) and gusts of 235 kph.

The Philippines is often the first major landmass hit by typhoons and major tropical storms that are created in the Pacific Ocean. It endures about 20 major storms a year, many of them deadly.

ksb/tj (dpa, AFP)