The authorities in the Philippines elevated the tropical storm Usagi to typhoon category on Wednesday, which is expected to make landfall in the country on Thursday, becoming the fifth cyclone to hit the Asian archipelago in less than a month. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) announced in a bulletin on Wednesday morning that it elevated Usagi, called Ofel in the Philippines, to typhoon status, which it maintained in its latest report around noon on Thursday. "'Ofel' maintains its strength as it moves northwest over the Philippine Sea," PAGASA noted in its latest bulletin at 11:00 local time (3:00 GMT). The typhoon is expected to reach the province of Cagayan, northeast of the island of Luzon, where Manila is located, around 8:00 PM on Thursday (12:00 GMT), an area where heavy rains are already expected on Wednesday. Philippine authorities warned the night before of the possibility of landslides and avalanches with the arrival of Usagi, which today has sustained winds of about 120 km/h. The Filipino Interior Secretary, Jonvic Remulla, said on Tuesday during a press conference that authorities are maintaining a "proactive" approach and have alerted local rescue teams and municipalities in anticipation of heavy rains and winds in provinces affected by the passage of four consecutive prior cyclones in a short span of time. The tropical storm Trami, known locally as Kristine, made landfall in the northern province of Isabela on October 23 and left 139 dead. A few days later, the passage of super typhoon Kong-Rey hit the Philippines again, bringing the death toll to 162 from both cyclones. Typhoon Yinxing left over 40,000 affected in the north of the country on November 7, while Toraji made landfall on Monday in the northern province of Aurora, causing material damage and forcing authorities to evacuate around 32,000 people. These last two consecutive storms did not result in fatalities, which Remulla attributed to the "lessons learned from Kristine." As the Philippines now prepares for the arrival of Ofel, PAGASA warned in another bulletin of the approach of another tropical storm, Man-Yi, which could reach the archipelago in the coming days. The Philippines experiences about 20 typhoons and tropical storms per year, especially during the rainy season, which typically begins in June and ends in November or December.
