A powerful typhoon is bearing down on the Philippines and could be the “most damaging” storm to hit the country this year.
Typhoon Sarika, which has already caused several deaths, is gaining strength and expected to make landfall in the early hours of Sunday morning UK time.
With winds of up to 115mph, Sarika is expected hit the country as a category 3 storm, bringing huge amounts of rain, which could cause landslides and flooding, and storm surges of up to two metres above normal levels.
“We can see from the radar that the storm is very destructive,” government forecaster Benison Estareja told AFP news agency. “It can destroy wooden houses, it can topple trees. It can possibly rip off roofs. This could so far be the most damaging typhoon this year.”
The storm, known locally as Karen, is predicted to hit the eastern side of Luzon, the Philippines largest and most populated island, and travel across its centre, also affecting parts of Manila, Mr Estareja added.
