Typhoon bears down on Philippines

Typhoon Parma is due to make landfall in the storm-battered Philippines in the next few hours.

President Gloria Arroyo has declared a national “state of calamity” and 33,000 people have been ordered to leave homes in the storm’s predicted path.The US Navy says it has two ships in Manila Bay ready to help if needed.Many South East Asian nations are still reeling from Typhoon Ketsana, which killed hundreds in the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam last week.Early on Saturday, Parma altered course slightly and was due to make landfall in Aurora province near the northern tip of the main island of Luzon later in the day. Officials said it had sustained winds of 175km/h (109mph) - down from its earlier force of 230km/h (140mph), but still capable of inflicting major damage.It is now expected to hit less populous regions, but it may still impact on areas around the capital, Manila, still recovering from last week’s severe flooding.“We are concerned about the effects of more rain on the relief work in flooded areas because the water level could rise again,” Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on national television.

US Navy Admiral Timothy Keating said two ships were off the coast of Manila carrying full medical facilities and hundreds of marines who were ready to go wherever needed.“The weather forecast is pretty grim for the north part of Luzon,” he said.“We think the threat to downtown Manila is lower than it is to the north part of Luzon.”Typhoon Ketsana caused nearly 300 deaths in the Philippines, as well as more than 100 in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

-BBC