Typhoon 'Koppu' kills one in Philippines

Manila: A teenager was killed and four others were injured when they were hit by a falling tree in the Philippines' Quezon city, as typhoon Koppu continued to batter northern Philippines, a senior government official said on Sunday.

Koppu, a category four typhoon, made landfall near the town of Casiguran in Aurora province.

The state weather bureau said Koppu intensified on Saturday with maximum sustained winds of 185 km per hour near the centre and gustiness of up to 220 km per hour, the Philippine Star reported.

Heavy rain and strong winds will continue till Tuesday.

“Estimated rainfall amount is from heavy to intense within the 600 km diameter of the typhoon,” said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Although the storm will not directly hit Metro Manila, PAGASA warned that its diameter was so huge that even the southern regions were likely to be affected by strong winds and rain.

Civil defence officials warned that waves as high as 14 metres could occur at sea and banned all vessels from sailing in over half the country.

The last massive typhoon to hit the Philippines was super typhoon Haiyan in 2013 which claimed 6,300 lives and left millions homeless.