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         Strongest Cyclone of 2013 Begins Battering Central Philippines

   The world`s strongest tropical cyclone of the year has begun to pound
   the central Philippines after President Benigno Aquino ordered mass
   evacuations to reduce the risk of disaster.
   Super Typhoon Haiyan, known as Yolanda in the Philippines, was expected
   to make landfall between the eastern islands of Samar and Leyte on
   Friday morning, local time, after gaining strength over the Pacific
   Ocean.
   The U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center said prior to landfall, Haiyan
   had maximum sustained winds of 315 kilometers per hour near its center,
   with gusts of 380 kilometers per hour. The typhoon`s intensity,
   equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane, is not expected to diminish
   significantly before making landfall.
   In a national address on Thursday, President Aquino said there is a
   "very real danger" but added that "no storm can bring a united Filipino
   people to its knees."
   He warned people to beware of waves as high as six meters in more than
   100 coastal areas. He said Philippine military planes, helicopters and
   vessels are on standby to respond to the storm, and relief supplies
   have been pre-positioned in areas expected to be affected.
   Authorities on Thursday evacuated thousands of people from their homes
   in vulnerable locations, moving them to safer ground. Schools closed,
   airlines canceled flights, ferry services stopped and fisherman were
   ordered to secure their vessels.
   International relief agencies said about 10 million people in the
   Philippines face disruption from the typhoon. It is not expected to
   have a major impact on the capital, Manila, far to the north.
   One area of concern is the central Philippine island of Bohol, where
   more than 200 people were killed in a 7.2 magnitude earthquake last
   month. Bohol is not expected to take a direct hit, but the storm is
   likely to add to the misery of thousands of displaced people forced to
   stay in shelters.
   Residents like Grace Macion said they will not be taken by surprise
   when the storm hits.
   "We are scared, whenever November or December come around, because we
   have already experienced strong typhoons before."
   Philippine meteorologists warn that Haiyan could be more dangerous than
   last year`s Typhoon Bopha, which killed at least 1,100 people on the
   southern island of Mindanao. Bopha was the world`s most powerful storm
   of 2012.
   The Philippines is vulnerable to severe flooding caused by heavy rains
   and tsunamis. It is hit by about 20 tropical cyclones each year.
   Typhoon Haiyan is expected to take aim at central Vietnam after it
   passes over the Philippines and enters the South China Sea.
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/strongest-cyclone-of-2013-begins-battering-central-philippines/1785978.html