40000 Filipinos run big storms

More than 40,000 Filipinos were evacuated to safe shelters when Typhoon Bopha, the strongest storm struck the island nation during the year, landed in the south of the country early this morning.

>>>Hurricane Bopha is active near the South China Sea

The weather forecast agency said Bopha landed on the east coast of Mindakao island at dawn, sweeping the island of 10 million people with winds of 210km / h with heavy rain.

There have been no reports of casualties or serious damage, but the Mindakao government has ordered all people in coastal areas and vulnerable to flooding to shelters, when water begins to rise. some areas.

Temporary air and waterway operations were halted, with 80 flights landing and thousands of passengers stranded in harbors, as coast guards demanded ships anchor back in ports to avoid storms.

Filipinos in the storm Saola in August.

Cagayan de Oro, a commercial hub and one of Mindakao's largest cities, has been flooded when river water rises in heavy rain. Students in Mindakao and large areas of central Philippines are allowed to leave school. A total of more than 41,000 people moved to nearly 1,000 government shelters across the island early this morning.

President Benigno Aquino yesterday called on people to evacuate."Bopha's ability to cause damage is not subjective. It is expected that this is the strongest storm hit our country in 2012 , " he said.

The Philippines suffers from about 20 storms each year, some of which are devastating. Bopha is the 16th storm to land the island this year.

In August, nearly 100 Filipinos died and more than one million people lost their homes due to severe flooding after a series of storms. Last year, 19 typhoons struck the country, including 10 strong attacks, killing more than 1,500 people and affecting nearly 10% of the Philippines population.