27-5-2024 (MANILA) The first typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, Typhoon Ewiniar, has claimed at least three lives and continues to gain strength as it moves towards Japan.
A seven-month-old baby and two others were killed on Sunday when they were struck by falling trees in Quezon, a province near the capital, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Known locally as Typhoon Aghon, Ewiniar has also caused widespread power outages, leaving thousands without electricity. Strong winds downed power lines and forced the shutdown of nine power plants, adding to the 12 plants already inoperative before the storm, the Department of Energy reported. This has resulted in a nearly 4,300-megawatt reduction in power capacity.
With maximum sustained winds of 140 kilometres (87 miles) per hour, Ewiniar is projected to impact the northern provinces of Cagayan and Batanes by Tuesday before exiting Philippine waters early Thursday, according to the local weather bureau.
The Hong Kong Observatory has forecast that the typhoon will then head towards southern Japan.
The Philippines experiences an average of 20 tropical cyclones annually, making it one of the world’s most affected countries by such natural disasters.
