Manila - Close to 3,000 people were stranded Friday in various ports in the Philippines after sea vessels were barred from sailing due to rough seas brought about by an incoming typhoon. The National Disaster Coordinating Council said more than 2,800 passengers were stuck in several provinces as Typhoon Mirinae forced the cancellation of sea travel.
Coast guard commandant Wilfredo Tamayo said the number of stranded passengers would increase as Mirinae makes landfall late Friday in Quezon province, 120 kilometres north-east of Manila.
An international flight from Narita, Japan to Manila and two domestic flights were cancelled due to Mirinae.
The weather bureau said Mirinae was packing maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometres per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 185 kph. It was moving west south-west at 24 kph.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo appealed to people living in the path of the typhoon to move to safer areas.
"This typhoon carries strong winds and we have to take the necessary precaution," she said in a statement.
Earlier in the day, classes in elementary and high schools were suspended in metropolitan Manila and nearby provinces after the weather bureau raised storm warnings in the areas.
Philippine authorities have also asked people to skip going to the cemeteries at the weekend amid Mirinae's threat.
Millions of Filipinos usually visit the graves of their dead relatives on or before November 1, the traditional day for honouring the dead.
The weather bureau warned residents in low-lying areas and on mountain slopes to be prepared for flashfloods and landslides.
Nearly 1,000 people were killed three weeks ago in back-to-back storms that pummelled Manila and the northern provinces. More than 8 million people were affected by two cyclones.
