At least 33 people have been killed in the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, official tallies showed on Saturday, with a charity reporting “alarming” destruction on islands that bore the brunt of the storm. Rai was a super typhoon when it slammed into Siargao Island on Thursday, packing maximum sustained winds of 195 km/h (120 mph). “Everything was flying, it was as if it was the end of the world,” Raphy Repdos, a tour operator visiting the island when the storm hit, told AFP. “Walls and roofs were torn and blown off by Odette like paper,” Bag-ao said, using the local name for the typhoon. Rai has hit the Philippines late in the typhoon season – most cyclones typically develop between July and October.

Source: The Guardian December 18, 2021 21:21 UTC