Manila, July 25 A powerful storm named Doksuri sweeping across the Pacific Ocean in the direction of the Philippines has intensified into a super typhoon, with the state weather bureau warning on Tuesday that it could hit the northern part of the country before moving the South China Sea later this week.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration last spotted Doksuri some 310 km east of Cagayan province on the northern Luzon island, reports Xinhua news agency.
The bureau said Doksuri, "nearing its peak intensity", was blowing north-northwestward at 10 km per hour, packing 185 km per hour winds and gusts of up to 230 km per hour.
It is forecast to move northwestward within 12 hours before generally turning west-northwestward, the bureau added.
On the track forecast, Doksuri is predicted to make landfall or pass very close to the Babuyan Islands between late Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon.
The bureau issued warning signals to several areas across the Philippines, including Metro Manila, due to the threat of flooding and rain-induced landslides.
The Philippine Coast Guard said over 8,600 passengers, truck drivers, and cargo helpers are stranded in Luzon island and the central Philippines due to the typhoon.
At least 73 vessels and 1,518 rolling cargo vessels were stranded in ports.
Doksuri is the fifth cyclone to hit the Philippines this year.
The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries globally, mainly due to its location in the Pacific Ring of Fire and the Pacific typhoon belt.
On average, the archipelagic country experiences 20 typhoons yearly, some of which are intense and destructive.
Doksuri could also continue to strengthen as it heads toward the northern part of the South China Sea -- spelling potential trouble for Taiwan, Hong Kong, and parts of southern China, CNN reported.
China’s National Meteorological Center projects Doksuri may land on the coast of the eastern provinces of Fujian and Guangdong on Friday morning.
Fujian province has upgraded its typhoon emergency warning to the third-highest level on Tuesday, and has asked fishing boats to return to port as soon as possible.
But the typhoon’s exact path is still uncertain, with the Hong Kong Observatory saying over the weekend there were several possible routes it could go.
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