The first storm of the season made landfall in the Philippines causing heavy damage

Typhoon Agaton, locally known as Agaton, made landfall on the east coast of the Philippines on April 10, the first of its kind. hurricane season 2022 landed as the Philippines prepared for the Easter holiday.

Typhoon Agaton made landfall on Calicoan Island off East Samar province, 659 kilometers south of the capital Manila. News weather forecast of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Typhoon Agaton had maximum sustained winds of 75 km/h, gusting up to 105 km/h, moving in a west-west direction. North, every hour goes 10 km.

Storm warnings have been upgraded for several eastern and central provinces, where Agaton is expected to bring heavy to severe downpours over the next few days.

The Coast Guard has suspended sea travel in the affected provinces, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded on their way home to the provinces ahead of the Holy Week holiday.

PASAGA warned that the affected areas would experience “strong to violent seas” and “these conditions could pose a risk to most ships”.

At least one person has died and more than 17,000 have been displaced by floods and mudslide when Hurricane Agaton made landfall. The storm brought torrential rains that drowned an 83-year-old man in floods in Davao De Oro province, 970 kilometers south of the capital Manila. Two women were injured when they were swept away by floods in nearby Bukidnon province, according to the national disaster agency.

“There are some reports of additional casualties, but we are still waiting for official numbers and reports from our regional partners,” said Mark Timbal, a spokesman for the national disaster agency. .

According to the agency, nearly 18,000 people were forced to flee their homes in 17 provinces affected by the storm, while more than 1,100 passengers were stranded at ports in affected areas after the coast guard. the sea suspends navigation at sea.

Rappler reported that, in Mindanao alone, heavy rains and threats of flood and landslides forced more than 6,000 families to evacuate to safer areas.

In addition to Typhoon Agaton, the weather agency is monitoring Tropical Cyclone Malakas, which is expected to enter the Philippines’ area of ​​responsibility on April 12 or 13 but is unlikely to make landfall. Typhoon Malakas currently has maximum winds of 75 km/h, gusts up to 90 km/h, and is moving northwest at 20 km/h.

Philippines suffers an average of 20 storms per year. The strongest typhoon ever to make landfall in the Philippines was Super Typhoon Haiyan, which killed 6,300 people and displaced more than 4 million people in November 2013.