Typhoon Molave crosses Phillipines; heads for China

Typhoon Molave moved across Batanes Island in extreme northern Phillipines as a tropical storm yesterday but strengthened to a Category 1 typhoon before leaving the country. Thousands of people were displaced due to heavy rains and flooding and the capital was effectively shut down. Three people were killed due to the storm.

Three dead as Typhoon Molave exits Philippines (AFP)

MANILA — At least three people were killed and nearly 100,000 displaced in the Philippines by Typhoon Molave, as the storm gained strength before rolling away from the country Saturday, officials said.

Among the dead was a 13-year-old boy who drowned in a swollen river in suburban Caloocan city north of Manila and a 32-year-old man who was electrocuted in norther Ilocos province.

Radio reports meanwhile said a baby also drowned in central Iloilo province after her house was flooded.

Typhoon paralyzes Philippine capital (Windsor Star)

Two people were missing and more than 4,000 others displaced as typhoon Molave caused widespread flooding that effectively shut down the Philippine capital Friday, rescuers and officials said.

The eye of Molave hit the sparsely populated Batan island group near Taiwan on Friday night as weather services upgraded it from a tropical storm into a typhoon packing maximum sustained winds of 95 km/h.

Typhoon Molave is expected to make landfall tonight (local time) at Guangdong province in south China. Molave is expected to affect Taiwan and Hong Kong as well. Molave is the first typhoon to come ashore in CHina this year. Previous storms only reached tropical storm strength.

Typhoon Molave to hit Guangdong tomorrow (Xinhua)

The typhoon might make landfall at China at its peak, which could bring serious danger, Chen said.

At 8 am today, Molave was located at 21.2 degrees north and 119.0 degrees east, 375 kilometers from Huidong County in Guangdong Province, the NMC said.

Packing winds of 33 meters per second (119 kilometers an hour),the typhoon is moving northwestward at a speed of 20 to 25 kilometers per hour. It is expected unleash gales and torrential rains in southeastern China, especially the coastal areas.

Residents in Guangdong, Fujian, Jianxi, Hainan provinces should expect dangerous winds, heavy rains and potential flooding. The storm may then move into Guizhou, Hunan and Jiagxi.