WORLD / Asia-Pacific |
Philippines braces for second storm in 2 weeks(AP)Updated: 2006-11-10 10:07 MANILA, Philippines - A second tropical storm in as many weeks was headed toward the northern Philippines on Friday, prompting authorities to raise an alert for possible floods and landslides. Tropical Storm Chebi, with maximum winds of 75 kilometers (47 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 90 kph (56 mph), was forecast to make landfall in northeastern Aurora province on Saturday afternoon as a Category 1 typhoon, forecasters reported. The system was 500 kilometers (312 miles) east of the central island of Catanduanes early Friday, and was expected to cut across the provinces of Aurora, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Ecija, the Philippine weather bureau said. Eight eastern coastal provinces were placed under a storm alert because of rains, winds and rough waters. Last week, Typhoon Cimaron slammed the same region, leaving 15 people dead in flash flood and landslides. It came on the heels of Typhoon Xangsane, which left 230 people dead and missing in and around Manila in late September. About 20 typhoons and tropical storms lash the country each year. Chebi, the Korean word for a swallow, is the 17th this season. |
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