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Philippines braced for arrival of major typhoon

Image credit: CIMSS

The Philippines is being braced for the arrival of strong winds brought by Typhoon Haiyan.

Storm-force winds of up to 200km an hour and heavy rainfall are forecast with the potential for flooding.

In an updated travel advisory, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: “The storm is also likely to cause some travel disruption.”

Ferry operations have been suspended and fishing boats ordered back to port.

The typhoon is forecast to make landfall in the Samar-Leyte region of the eastern Philippines tomorrow (Friday).

“The path taken by such storms is impossible to predict with 100% accuracy,” the FCO said. “Visitors and residents should therefore monitor local weather reports and follow the advice of local authorities.”

Typhoon Haiyan is predicted to hit central areas already struggling to recover from a 7.3-magnitude earthquake last month, including the worst-hit island of Bohol.

Around 5,000 people are still living in tents in Bohol after losing their homes in the quake, according to the BBC.

Meteorologists in the Philippines warned that Haiyan could be as devastating as Typhoon Botha in 2012.

Botha devastated parts of the southern Philippines, leaving at least 1,000 people dead and causing more than $1 billion in damage.

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