Two new cyclones bring heavy rains to the Philippines after 12 deaths and thousands evacuated

Manila.- Two new cyclones reinforced the rains over part of Philippines, one of which could make landfall tomorrow or the day after with winds of up to 117 kilometers per hour in the north of the archipelago, where since the passage of Typhoon Wipha last Friday twelve people have died and tens of thousands have been evacuated due to the floods. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned of the formation 115 kilometers west-northwest of Laoag City of a tropical depression, locally named Emong, in the South China Sea.

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It is forecast that storm Emong will gain strength and turn towards the northern coast of the archipelago, where it could make landfall on Thursday or Friday, due to the effects of a second cyclone in the Philippine Sea. Baptized in the archipelago as Dante, the tropical storm known internationally as Francisco is heading towards the Japanese Ryukyu Islands. “We know that it has been raining for several days in some parts of northern Luzon, moderate rains caused by Typhoon Emong may continue to cause flooding in low-lying areas and may trigger landslides,” PAGASA meteorologist Christopher Pérez warned today during a press conference. The police in the Asian country stated this Wednesday that at least twelve people have died and nine are still missing due to the combined effects of Typhoon Wipha, known locally as Crising and which brushed the archipelago without making landfall last Friday, and the heavy rains associated with the monsoon. Some 141,000 people have been displaced due to floods and landslides, according to the latest bulletin from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council of the Philippines (NDRRMC). The rains sowed chaos in the capital and neighboring provinces, where for the fourth consecutive day the authorities suspended classes and the work of officials in non-essential positions.