Powerful typhoon threatens Philippines, thousands evacuated

Tens of thousands of people are being evacuated to emergency shelters in the southern and central Philippines as a powerful typhoon approaches

MANILA, Philippines -- Tens of thousands of people were being evacuated to emergency shelters in the southern and central Philippines on Thursday as a powerful typhoon approached.

Crowding in evacuation centers was complicating efforts to keep people safely distanced after authorities detected the country’s first infections caused by the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Forecasters said they last tracked Typhoon Rai, with sustained winds of 185 kilometers (115 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 230 kph (143 mph), about 175 kilometers (109 miles) east of southern Surigao del Norte province. It was moving northwestward at 25 kph (15 mph). The typhoon, locally called Odette, was expected to hit the Dinagat Islands in the southeast later in the day, forecasters said.

Several southern and central provinces were on typhoon alerts. Residents were warned to stay away from coastal and low-lying villages and other high-risk areas due to possible flash floods, landslides and tidal surges in or near the typhoon’s path.