The Philippines has declared a warning in parts of the north and center of the country due to the approaching typhoon Man-yi, which is expected to make landfall over the upcoming weekend, becoming the sixth cyclone to hit the archipelago in less than a month, a situation considered 'unusual' by NASA.
The typhoon, known as Pepito in the Philippines, is currently 620 kilometers off the coast and has sustained winds of up to 130 kilometers per hour, according to the latest report from the country's Meteorological Agency. Man-yi is expected to rapidly gain strength and could reach super typhoon status before its arrival on the island of Luzon over the weekend.
Although the Philippines typically faces around twenty cyclones a year, in recent weeks it has experienced a rapid succession of storms that have claimed the lives of more than 160 people and forced the preventive evacuation of tens of thousands of residents.
The situation has been exacerbated by the presence of several active storms in the Pacific Ocean, such as Yinxing, Toraji, Usagi, and Man-yi. According to NASA, this is the first time since 1951 that four storms coexist in the Pacific basin in November, according to information provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Additionally, previous storms, Trami and Kong-rey, hit the Philippines in late October, leaving a total of 162 dead and extensive destruction in their wake. The series of climatic phenomena has put local authorities on alert and raised concerns among the affected population.
