Nearly a million people evacuated in Philippines as “life-threatening” typhoon approaches

Authors: James Atem Kuir | The BBC | Published: 22 minutes ago People leaving as Typhoon Fung-wong approaches in the Philippines - courtesy photo More than 900,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in the Philippines as Typhoon Fung-wong nears landfall, according to the BBC. The country’s meteorological agency said the storm poses a “high-risk of life-threatening and damaging storm surge with peak heights exceeding 3m.” The climate service said the typhoon is expected to make landfall on Sunday evening, bringing winds of around 185 km/h and gusts of up to 230 km/h. Fung-wong — known locally as Uwan — comes just days after another storm, Kalmaegi, killed nearly 200 people and caused massive destruction. The approach of the typhoon has forced the closure of schools and cancellation of nearly 300 flights across the country. Forecasters said over 200mm of rain is expected in parts of Luzon, with 100-200mm likely in Metro Manila. Authorities have warned that the storm could trigger severe flooding and landslides in affected areas.