The Philippines issued new weather warnings on Tuesday as the fifth major storm in three weeks, Tropical Storm Usagi, neared the archipelago. This comes just days after thousands were evacuated ahead of Typhoon Toraji.
Toraji, now a weakened tropical storm, moved out to sea overnight after causing limited damage and no reported fatalities.
However, Tropical Storm Usagi, currently churning in the Pacific, is just two days away from hitting the country’s northeast coast, according to the national weather agency.
The government evacuated over 32,000 people from vulnerable areas in the northern Philippines before Typhoon Toraji made landfall on Monday. This follows the deadly impact of Severe Tropical Storm Trami, Typhoon Yinxing, and Super Typhoon Kong-rey, which together claimed 159 lives, mostly from flash floods and landslides caused by Trami.
Fortunately, no major flooding was reported from Toraji.
Tropical Storm Usagi, with winds of 75 kilometers per hour (47 mph), is expected to bring heavy waves to the northeast coast late Tuesday, with a predicted landfall on Thursday, when it may intensify into a typhoon. The weather agency advised small vessels to stay off the sea until conditions improve.
Although no deaths were reported from Typhoon Toraji, around 15,000 people are still sheltering in government-run evacuation centers. Utility workers spent Tuesday repairing damaged bridges, restoring electricity, and clearing roads blocked by landslides, fallen trees, and power lines.
While the damage to private homes remains unclear, 29 towns and cities still lack power, although ports have reopened and schools in nearly 600 towns and cities resumed classes.
Looking ahead, Tropical Storm Man-yi, currently near the Northern Mariana Islands, may threaten the Philippines next week.
The Philippines faces around 20 major storms and typhoons each year, which cause widespread destruction and leave millions in poverty. A recent study found that storms in the Asia-Pacific region are forming closer to coastlines, intensifying faster, and lasting longer over land due to climate change.
