5 million people in Philippines at risk from Typhoon Mangkhu

Super Typhoon Mangkhu made landfall on Saturday, according to officials in the Philippines. A massive evacuation was underway earlier as the typhoon barreled toward the Southeast Asian country. About 5 million people are at risk from the storm, according to the Hawaii-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

The center downgraded the typhoon to the equivalent of a category 4 Atlantic hurricane. It has a huge raincloud about 900 kilometers (560 miles) wide.

Government forecaster Rene Paciente issued a warning about the force of the winds: “It can lift cars, you can’t stand, you can’t even crawl against that wind.”

Paciente also cautioned residents that even if the typhoon weakens after making landfall, it will remain incredibly destructive.

DW