Christmas typhoon threatens Philippine capital

A powerful typhoon threatened to bring heavy rains and winds to the heavily-populated Philippine capital as it dragged its way across the archipelago today, spoiling the Christmas holidays.
Typhoon Nock-Ten, which made landfall on the eastern island province of Catanduanes yesterday, is forecast to move westward towards the country's heartland, packing winds of 230 kilometres per hour, the government weather station said.
More than 218,000 people have already fled their homes while 48 domestic and international flights were cancelled, the civil defence office said, as the unusually late typhoon marred Christmas celebrations in the largely Christian nation.
So far there have been no reports of casualties after the government took measures to prepare communities even before the storm hit.

Nock-Ten, which is moving northwest at 20 kilometres per hour, is expected to affect Manila and the surrounding area later in the day before exiting the main island of Luzon this afternoon, the government weather station said.
The bustling metropolis of about 13 million was eerily quiet the day after Christmas with the usual holiday revellers staying indoors as Nock-Ten approached.

The civil defence office said the capital could suffer "heavy to intense rains, flashfloods and severe winds," with rescue boats ready to be deployed in case the rivers overflow.
"Our local disaster councils are on red alert. We have pre-positioned relief supplies and rescue and (road) clearing equipment in Metro Manila," said Mina Marasigan, spokeswoman of the country's disaster monitoring council.

The coastguard yesterday ordered the beaches south of Manila to be cleared of holidaymakers by today, while residents of the capital's seaside slums were warned to leave their homes.
The storm previously cut off electricity to millions and forced government agencies to order evacuations of whole communities in the eastern region of Bicol which felt the brunt of the storm on Christmas day.
"They intentionally cut off electricity (in Bicol) because of the strong winds so no one would be accidentally electrocuted if the power lines are knocked down," Marasigan told AFP.
"Government workers in the Bicol region, particularly those involved in disaster relief and operations, are working round-the-clock even on Christmas Day as typhoon Nina (the local name of Nock-Ten) maintains its strength and continues to pose a serious threat to Bicol region," President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman Martin Andanar said in a statement.