Typhoon Yolanda could affect up to 12.9M people

Super typhoon Yolanda—internationally codenamed Haiyan—expected to slam into the Eastern Visayas and some parts of northern Mindanao on Friday, about a year after the devastating super typhoon Pablo hit the same area, various international weather forecasting centers said Thursday. 
 
Data from the United States' NOAA Satellite and Information showed Yolanda is the most powerfulof the three active cyclones on the planet at present.
 
CNN weather forecasters said Yolanda is a “beast” and the strongest cyclone the world has seen this year. CNN also said Yolanda will affect the same areas that Pablo ravaged last year.

The United States' Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) said the super typhoon may have near-center winds of 145 knots (268.54 kph) and gusts of up to 175 knots (324.1 kph).
 
The United Nations Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System said, "Tropical Cyclone HAIYAN-13 can have a high humanitarian impact based on the Maximum sustained wind speed and the affected population and their vulnerability."
 
"Up to 12.9 million people can be affected by wind speeds of cyclone strength or above. In addition, 1.7 million people are living in coastal areas below 5m and can therefore be affected by storm surge,"the UN research facility added.
 
Yolanda's storm surge could be a high as 2.1 meters, according to the European Commission's Joint Research Center.
 
"The calculations identify the populated places affected by storm surge up to three days in advance, using the forecasted track. When forecasts change, the associated storm surge changes too and alert levels may go up or down," the JRC said.

Coastal areas have been evacuated and emergency workers put on alert on Wednesday as the cyclone headed towards islands still recovering from a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit last month.
 
Typhoon Haiyan, with gusts of up to 185 kph (115 mph), was moving over the sea at 30 kph (18 mph) and may make landfall at mid-day on Friday (November 8) on Samar and Leyte, said Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo.
 
Officials have closed schools and prepared emergency shelters and food supplies.
 
Thousands of people on Bohol island are still in shelters after their homes were destroyed in an October 15 earthquake that killed more than 200 people.
 
About 20 typhoons hit the Philippines every year. — with Reuters/Earl Victor L. Rosero /LBG, GMA News

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