Philippines evacuates coasts, cancels sea trips as supertyphoon nears

Members of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office prepare rubber boats and life vests ahead of Super Typhoon Noru making landfall, at their headquarters in Quezon City, suburban Manila on Sunday, September 25, 2022. - AFP

MANILA, Sept 25 (Reuters): Philippine authorities started evacuating people from coastal areas on Sunday and hundreds were unable to travel by sea as the main island Luzon, including Manila, braces for a category 3 typhoon that continues to strengthen, officials said.

Typhoon Noru became a supertyphoon "after a period of explosive intensification", with sustained winds increasing to 185 km (115 miles) per hour from 120 kph on Saturday evening, the disaster agency said in an advisory.