Thousands in Philippines rush to escape possible effects of Typhoon Mawar

In this undated handout photo received from Ivana Police station on May 27, 2023, shows police personnel helping residents reinforce the roof of their house in Ivana town, Batanes province, on the very tip of the Philippines, ahead of super Typhoon Mawar grazing the province. - AFP

MANILA (AP): Philippine officials began evacuating thousands of villagers, shut down schools and offices and imposed a no-sail ban on Monday (May 29) as Typhoon Mawar approached the country’s northern provinces a week after battering the US territory of Guam.

The typhoon is packing maximum sustained winds of 155kpm (96 mph) and gusts of up to 190 kph (118 mph) but is forecast to spare the mountainous region a direct hit. Current projections show the typhoon veering northeast toward Taiwan or southern Japan.