Australian travellers are being warned of a dangerous storm cell that is forecast to sweep through several tourist hotspots in South-East Asia.
Tropical Cyclone Kalmaegi is set to hit Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos in the coming days, triggering a Smart Traveller warning to Australians who are either in these countries or heading to them.
“Heavy rain and dangerous winds are expected, which may cause flash flooding and landslides,” the website said today.
The cyclone is set to hit Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, with the Australian government issuing travel warnings for impacted countries. (AP)
“Transport, including airport closures and flight cancellations, along with essential services, may also be affected.
“If you’re travelling, contact your airline or travel provider [and] check media for updates and follow the instructions of local authorities.”
It comes as more than 150,000 people evacuated to safer ground in eastern provinces of the Philippines as the cyclone approached from the Pacific Ocean on Monday, with authorities warning of torrential rains, potentially destructive winds and storm surges of up to 3 metres.
Cyclone Kalmaegi was forecast to make landfall on Monday night or early Tuesday. It was last spotted about 95 kilometres south-east of Guiuan town in Eastern Samar province, where sustained winds of up to 140km/h and gusts of up to 170km/h were recorded.
Residents in the Philippines evacuate as the cyclone closes in. (AP)
It was expected to blow westward and batter central island provinces, including Cebu, which is still recovering from a 6.9 magnitude earthquake on September 30 that left at least 79 dead and displaced thousands of people when houses collapsed or were severely damaged.
Displaced residents staying in flimsy tents would be moved to sturdier shelters, the Office of Civil Defence said.
On central Negros island, villagers were warned that heavy rains could cause volcanic mudflows on Kanlaon volcano, which has been emitting plumes of ash and steam in recent months, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.
Kalmaegi, locally named Tino, was forecast to further strengthen over the Philippine Sea before possibly making landfall in Guiuan town or nearby municipalities.
Children were among the evacuees in the Philippines. (AP)
Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful tropical cyclones on record, slammed ashore into Guiuan in November 2013 and raked across the central Philippines, leaving more than 7300 people dead or missing, flattening entire villages and sweeping scores of ships inland.
Haiyan demolished about a million houses and displaced more than 4 million people in one of the country’s poorest regions.
“Nobody’s complaining among the residents because of their experience with Yolanda. They know it’s better to be safe than sorry,” Eastern Samar Governor RV Evardone told The Associated Press, referring to Haiyan’s Philippine name.
Nearly 156,000 people had been evacuated by nightfall in eastern and southern provinces, including in Dinagat Islands province south of Eastern Samar, Office of Civil Defence Administrator Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said. Disaster response agencies, including coast guard search and rescue units, have been put on alert.
Inter-island ferries and fishing boats were prohibited from venturing into increasingly rough seas, stranding more than 3500 passengers and cargo truck drivers in nearly 100 seaports, the coast guard said. A number of domestic flights were cancelled.
The Philippines is battered by about 20 typhoons and storms each year. It is often hit by earthquakes and has more than a dozen active volcanoes, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.
Reported with Associated Press