Sixth typhoon in a month makes landfall in Philippines

At least 500,000 people are reported to have fled as the storm nears. The head of the country’s civil defence, Ariel Nepomuceno, has urged those living in the storm’s projected path to comply with evacuation orders.

“It is more dangerous now for those in landslide-prone areas because the ground has been saturated by the consecutive typhoons,” Mr Nepomuceno said.

Glenda Llamas is among those who have had to leave their homes.

“We are terrified of the typhoon, as it may intensify and the waters can rise,” she told the AFP news agency from a shelter in the eastern Albay province.

“If we didn’t evacuate we wouldn’t be able to get out later, we don’t have anyone else in the house but us.”

“We already have a lot of phobia due to the previous calamities that happened here like floods, strong winds and other disasters,” said Melchor Bilay, who was evacuated to a school further south, in Sorsogon province.