Latest news with #torrentialrains
Malay Mail
7 days ago
- Climate
- Malay Mail
Philippines shuts schools, scraps flights as Typhoon Co-May nears
MANILA, July 24 — The Philippines shut down schools and cancelled flights Thursday as torrential rains driven by a typhoon and a separate tropical storm pounded the country's northern island of Luzon. Typhoon Co-May, upgraded from a tropical storm overnight, follows days of monsoon rains that have killed at least 12 people and left another eight missing across the archipelago since July 18, according to the national disaster agency. With maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometres (75 miles) per hour, the typhoon was expected to make landfall on the west coast in either La Union or Ilocos Sur province by Friday morning, the country's weather service said. Around 70 domestic and international flights have been cancelled due to the storms, the civil aviation authority said. The government has announced the suspension of classes across Luzon for Thursday. Tens of thousands were evacuated across Manila earlier this week by floodwaters that swamped some neighbourhoods in waist-deep water and left residents of nearby provinces stranded and in need of rescue by boat. As of Thursday, at least several thousand people in Manila remained unable to return to their homes. 'We cannot send them home yet because it is still raining and some typhoons are still expected to affect the country,' Ria Mei Pangilinan, a rescue coordinator in the capital, told AFP. 'There might be more (evacuees) if the rain does not stop.' Typhoon Co-May was about 210 kilometres off the country's west coast as of 11 am (0300 GMT). Tropical Storm Francisco, meanwhile, was situated about 735 kilometres from the country's east coast and on a trajectory towards northern Taiwan. The two storms are not believed to be on a collision path. — AFP
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Philippines shuts schools, scraps flights as Typhoon Co-May nears
The Philippines shut down schools and cancelled flights Thursday as torrential rains driven by a typhoon and a separate tropical storm pounded the country's northern island of Luzon. Typhoon Co-May, upgraded from a tropical storm overnight, follows days of monsoon rains that have killed at least 12 people and left another eight missing across the archipelago since July 18, according to the national disaster agency. With maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometres (75 miles) per hour, the typhoon was expected to make landfall on the west coast in either La Union or Ilocos Sur province by Friday morning, the country's weather service said. Around 70 domestic and international flights have been cancelled due to the storms, the civil aviation authority said. The government has announced the suspension of classes across Luzon for Thursday. Tens of thousands were evacuated across Manila earlier this week by floodwaters that swamped some neighbourhoods in waist-deep water and left residents of nearby provinces stranded and in need of rescue by boat. As of Thursday, at least several thousand people in Manila remained unable to return to their homes. "We cannot send them home yet because it is still raining and some typhoons are still expected to affect the country," Ria Mei Pangilinan, a rescue coordinator in the capital, told AFP. "There might be more (evacuees) if the rain does not stop." Typhoon Co-May was about 210 kilometres off the country's west coast as of 11 am (0300 GMT). Tropical Storm Francisco, meanwhile, was situated about 735 kilometres from the country's east coast and on a trajectory towards northern Taiwan. The two storms are not believed to be on a collision path. pam-cwl/rsc
Free Malaysia Today
23-07-2025
- Climate
- Free Malaysia Today
Philippines flooding displaces thousands, 2 missing
Residents wade in floodwaters in the flood-hit city of Marikina, Metro Manila. (EPA Images pic) MANILA : Floodwaters driven by torrential rains ground life in the Philippine capital to a halt on Tuesday, with tens of thousands evacuated from their homes and at least two people believed missing. Schools and government offices in Manila and the surrounding provinces were closed after a night of rain that saw the region's Marikina River burst its banks. More than 23,000 people living along the river were evacuated overnight, sheltering in schools, village halls and covered courtyards. Another 25,000 more were evacuated in the metropolitan area's Quezon and Caloocan cities. 'Usually these people are from low-lying areas like beside creeks (feeding into the river),' according to Wilmer Tan of the Marikina rescue office, who said the river had reached 18m (59 feet) in height. An elderly woman and her driver were swept down a swollen creek as they attempted to cross a bridge in Caloocan, said John Paul Nietes, an emergency operations centre assistant supervisor. 'Their car was recovered last night. The rescue operation is continuing, but as of today, they haven't found either of them,' he said. 'The car window was broken, so the hope is that they were able to escape.' Floodwaters were receding on Tuesday morning, though thousands of people remained unable to return to their homes. Ongoing monsoon rains have killed at least three people and left another seven missing in the central and southern Philippines since Tropical Storm Wipha skirted the country on Friday, according to the national disaster risk reduction and management council. At least 20 storms or typhoons strike or come near the Philippines each year, with the country's poorest regions typically the hardest hit. Deadly and destructive storms are becoming more powerful as the world gets warmer because of climate change. 'This is hard, because if the rain will continue… the river will swell,' Manila street sweeper Avelina Lumangtad, 61, told AFP as she stood next to a flooded thoroughfare. 'The floods are dangerous.'
Reuters
22-07-2025
- Climate
- Reuters
South Korea's Lee declares disaster zones after floods
SEOUL, July 22 (Reuters) - South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung declared six districts as special disaster zones on Tuesday after days of torrential rains left a trail of destruction in parts of the country. The wet weather has now subsided, though media reports said heavy rainfall was drenching parts of North Korea. Around 19 people have died and nine were still missing in South Korea as of Tuesday morning, while 2,549 people were still displaced, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said. Around 3,776 facilities, including homes, shops and factories, needing to be cleared of water, debris and earth, the ministry added. President Lee's declaration of special disaster zones - including in Gapeyeong on the outskirts of Seoul - gave authorities access to emergency administrative and financial support to aid victims. He earlier told public officials to "spare no effort" in the search for missing people. The president's approval rating slipped to 62.2% from 64.6% in a survey conducted last week during the rains, according to pollster Realmeter.
Reuters
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
South Korea's Lee orders all-out effort to find missing after floods
SEOUL, July 22 (Reuters) - South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung told public officials on Tuesday to "spare no effort" in the search for missing people and on damage recovery after days of torrential rains left a trail of destruction in various parts of the country. The wet weather has now subsided, though media reports said heavy rainfall was drenching parts of North Korea. Some 19 people have died and nine were still missing in South Korea as of Tuesday morning, while 2,549 people remained displaced, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said. Damage to property was extensive with some 3,776 facilities, including homes, shops and factories needing to be cleared of water, debris and earth, it said. Noting the limitations of existing methods in coping with last week's rain, Lee ordered the prime minister and all related ministries to establish a comprehensive response system for natural disasters by region and type. Lee also told a cabinet meeting to "strictly crack down on mindless public officials who enjoy dancing and drinking at.. locations where people are dying." The president's approval rating fell to 62.2% from 64.6% previously according to pollster Realmeter, in a survey conducted last week during the torrential rains. Lee, who took office in June, has promised to make the country safer and to prevent any repeat of the disasters in recent years that have often been blamed on the inadequate response by authorities.
