Philippines prepares to face Typhoon Hagupit or Ruby in the Philippines

Philippines is bracing itself to face the wrath of Typhoon Hagupit, or Ruby in the Philippines – it is expected to strike with wind gusts of 250km/h (155mph) and is due to hit land on Saturday evening. It is reported to be on course for the Eastern and Northern Samar provinces and the city of Tacloban. This is the city where thousands had lost their lives last year in Typhoon Haiyan.
The people have sought shelter and many of the locals are still living in temporary shelters – they are moving away from coastal areas.
Haiyan - known as Yolanda in the Philippines – had struck in November 2013 and was believed to have been the most powerful typhoon ever recorded over land. It tore through the central Philippines and left over 7,000 dead or missing. Hagupit is not likely to be as powerful as Haiyan but could bring storm surges up to one-storey high, apart from heavy rain and the risk of landslides.
In Tacloban, people have taken shelter in the sports stadium. Reports indicate that nearly 19,000 people from coastal villages are in 26 evacuation centers. The disaster office spokesman feels the figure could increase twofold as the authorities force people to evacuate from danger zones.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center of the US Navy had classified Hagupit as a super typhoon but has subsequently downgraded it. It still remains the strongest storm to hit the Philippines this year. Of course, the meteorologists feel that it could veer away in a northerly direction towards Japan and miss the Philippines altogether.