Typhoon Phanfone in Philippines kills 1, forces thousands from homes
The Associated Press | Posted: December 25, 2019 1:42 PM | Last Updated: December 25, 2019
Typhoon Phanfone had maximum sustained winds of up to 140 km/h
Thousands in central Philippines are experiencing a wet and gloomy Christmas because of Typhoon Phanfone, which made its first landfall on Christmas Eve, killing one person.
Phanfone has since made several landfalls in the Visayas group of islands, bringing heavy rains, strong winds, and flash floods to provinces in the region.
One person died due to electrocution, Dominic Petilla, Leyte province governor, told radio DZMM on Wednesday.
Thousands have evacuated their homes, and thousands more have been stranded in ports around the country, officials said.
Phanfone has maximum sustained winds of up to 140 km/h near the centre and gustiness of up to 195 km/h, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.
The Philippines, an archipelago nation of more than 7,000 islands, is annually buffeted by tropical storms and typhoons, which are called hurricanes and cyclones elsewhere.