Dozen Dead, 455,000 Displaced as Typhoon Penha Hits Philippines
OCD spokesperson Junie Castillo confirmed nine casualties in Northern Mindanao, where a devastating landslide buried four family members, a newspaper reported.
The storm impacted more than 455,000 residents nationwide, according to data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Emergency officials relocated 16,528 families into 480 designated evacuation facilities, while countless others sought refuge independently.
The weather system, designated locally as Basyang, emerged Monday as a low-pressure formation east of northeastern Mindanao, positioned beyond the Philippine Area of Responsibility. Within 24 hours, atmospheric conditions escalated it to tropical depression status.
By Wednesday, the disturbance had intensified into tropical storm classification before striking land Thursday across Bayabas municipality in Surigao del Sur province on Mindanao Island.
Despite downgrading to low-pressure status Saturday following five separate landfalls spanning Mindanao and the Visayas, meteorologists project continued torrential precipitation across portions of the Mimaropa region, Mindoro Island, Negros Island, Western Visayas, and Lunan Island.
Substantial rainfall is anticipated to persist across southern Luzon and Eastern Visayas territories throughout upcoming days.
Friday saw transportation chaos as Tropical Storm Basyang triggered widespread flight cancellations, marooning thousands at aviation terminals. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) documented 32 scrubbed departures since Thursday, stranding 7,737 travelers.
Meanwhile in Australia, tropical cyclone Mitchell is projected to escalate into category three intensity overnight Saturday, media reported.
Authorities have issued urgent shelter warnings for populations throughout the Karratha and Pilbara regions of Western Australia.
The Bureau of Meteorology cautioned that wind velocities reaching 220 kilometers (136 miles) per hour could pummel coastal zones.
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