Khaberni - Tens of thousands have left their homes on an island located in the eastern Philippines, Saturday, as the tropical storm Fengshin approached, according to rescue teams, while meteorologists fear coastal flooding.
The storm hit the municipality of Gubat, southeast of the main island of Luzon, accompanied by winds reaching speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour, according to the government meteorological authority.
After evacuating residents from coastal areas and other very dangerous areas, local authorities said that so far there have been no reports of significant damage or injuries.
Rescue worker Ryan Estrellado in Gubat said: "We witnessed heavy rain and blowing winds, though not severe."
The eye of the storm is expected to pass off the coast of the island, which has a population of 270,000 in the Bicol region, on Saturday evening, accompanied by winds, which may reach speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour.
The storm Fengshin may intensify before it makes landfall for the second time in central Luzon on Sunday, according to the meteorological authority.
The authority added that the hurricane will bring heavy rain, warning of a "low to moderate" risk of coastal flooding with waves ranging in height between one and two meters.
Disaster management officials reported that about 27,000 residents of Albay province and the neighboring island of Catanduanes have moved to safer areas.
Evacuation operations are being fully conducted in an area that is often the first vast land area to be hit by typhoons, which form in the western Pacific Ocean.
Every year, about 20 storms or typhoons hit or approach the Philippines, and usually, the poorest areas in the country are most vulnerable to the impacts of natural disasters.
Scientists report that climate change is making extreme weather phenomena more frequent and severe around the world.
This storm in the Philippines comes after a series of earthquakes that killed at least 87 people in the last three weeks, in addition to the typhoons Bualoi and Ragasa, which claimed victims.
