MANILA, Nov 8, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Authorities cleared uprooted trees and debris
in the northern Philippines on Friday as Typhoon Yinxing blew out to sea
after pounding the coast overnight, ripping roofs from homes and forcing
thousands to seek shelter.

But while nearly 30,000 people took cover in government-run facilities in the
days and hours before Yinxing made landfall, there were no reported
casualties from the typhoon, which came just two weeks after a major storm
killed more than 150.

Yinxing's 175 kilometres (109 miles) per hour winds knocked down power lines,
tore trees from the ground and shattered windows as it slammed into the
country's north coast on Thursday, the national weather agency, residents and
rescuers said.

Officials reported 242.6 millimetres (0.80 ft) of rain dumped in a 24-hour
window.

"Many trees were uprooted. There was also soil erosion in some areas. We are
lucky they were not full-blown landslides," said Cagayan province disaster
chief Rueli Rapsing, whose agency has so far reported no casualties.

In the province's Pamplona municipality, strong winds sent roofs flying
through the air and residents scrambling for shelter.

"The fierce wind that we experienced last night was the strongest I've ever
felt and seen in this town," 35-year-old resident Patrick Maquiraya told AFP
by phone.

"The roof of the house that was being constructed in front of our home
suddenly went flying."

Maquiraya said friends who sought shelter at a gymnasium had to relocate to a
nearby church after strong winds shattered the building's glass windows.

A live video seen by AFP on Thursday showed fierce winds blowing merchandise
from store shelves in Santa Ana town, where the typhoon made landfall.

As of 8 am Friday (0000 GMT), Typhoon Yinxing's center was estimated to be
northwest of Laoag city and moving out across the South China Sea, according
to the state weather agency.

Rapsing, the Cagayan disaster chief, said power lines were being restored as
the province shifted into cleanup mode, with police, firemen and rescuers
using excavators and other equipment to clear major roads.

Yinxing is the third storm in less than a month to threaten the Philippines
after Severe Tropical Storm Trami and Super Typhoon Kong-rey together left
158 people dead, the national disaster agency said, with most of that tally
attributed to Trami.

About 20 big storms and typhoons hit the archipelago nation or its
surrounding waters each year, damaging homes and infrastructure and killing
dozens of people.

A recent study showed that storms in the Asia-Pacific region are increasingly
forming closer to coastlines, intensifying more rapidly and lasting longer
over land due to climate change.