Luzon in path of approaching typhoon

MANILA – A typhoon is heading straight for the main Philippine island of Luzon, prompting storm alerts in nearly 20 provinces and placing army and police units on standby.

With winds at the centre of 130 kilometres per hour, Typhoon Koppu was about 585 kilometres east of Aurora
province, in the country’s
north-east, and moving west at 15kph.

Tropical Storm Risk forecast it would gain strength overnight.

“We have placed military and emergency workers on alert,” said Alexander Pama, executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Unicef Philippines said it had supplies ready for 12,000 families in areas the storm was expected to hit, including the Cagayan province.

An average of 22 typhoons hit the Philippines every year.

In late 2013, super typhoon Haiyan, the strongest-ever to hit land, struck central areas, killing more than 6300 people and leaving millions homeless.