Manila - Philippine authorities Thursday warned of floods and landslides as a new typhoon barrelled towards the country's northern region, where nearly 1,000 people died in two previous cyclones. Typhoon Mirinae was packing maximum winds of 150 kilometres per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 185 kph as it moved westward at 20 kph, the weather bureau said.
It is forecast to hit land on Friday evening, it added.
The bureau raised storm warnings in more than a dozen provinces in the northern region of Luzon, which was expected to bear the brunt of Mirinae.
"Residents in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes are advised to take all the necessary precautionary measures against flashfloods and landslides," the bureau said its bulletin.
"Those living along the coast are advised to be on alert against storm surges and big waves generated by the typhoon," it added.
Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Torres, spokesman for the National Disaster Coordinating Council, said authorities were identifying hazard areas where residents needed to be moved out.
"The focus of the preparation is to review the hazard areas, identify evacuation centres because it's easier to evacuate people than rescue them when the typhoon comes," he said.
Mirinae would strike as millions of Filipinos prepared to visit cemeteries on All Saint's Day on November 1, the traditional day for honouring the dead.
Defence Secretary Eduardo Ermita Wednesday urged Filipinos to skip the annual trip to the cemeteries amid Mirinae's threat.
"Let us avoid visiting our relatives at the cemeteries," he said.
The weather bureau said Mirinae was expected to hit Manila, which was struck by the worst flood in over 40 years caused by storm Ketsana on September 26. The deluge killed 464 people.
One week later, Typhoon Parma struck the northern Philippines, triggering massive landslides and more flooding that killed 465 people.
