Severe weather | Super Typhoon Yutu threatens Philippines with deadly winds, surf

A damaged plane sits at the airport after Super Typhoon Yutu hit the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Super Typhoon Yutu could rip into eastern Luzon in the Philippines tomorrow, extending the toll of destruction it left in the U.S. Northern Mariana Islands earlier this week.

According to information posted yesterday by the Hong Kong Observatory, Yutu will move towards Luzon in the next couple of days. The chance for it to enter the South China Sea is relatively high on Wednesday, the subsequent track and the weakening of Yutu will depend on its interaction with the replenishment of the monsoon.

Yutu, called Rosita in the Philippines, will bring flooding rain, tree-snapping winds and a life-threatening storm surge when it comes ashore. Luzon is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines, home to some 53 million people.

On its current track the storm would pass well north of the capital of Manila, which could see rain and gusty winds.

Yutu became the strongest storm since 1950 to hit the U.S. territories of Saipan and Tinian in the Northern Mariana Islands, when it brought winds of nearly 180 mph over the area on Wednesday. At least one person died, many were injured and buildings were destroyed or damaged, according to a blog post by meteorologist Bob Henson of Weather Underground, an IBM company.

Yutu’s winds could weaken slightly before it hits the Philippines about 2 p.m. local time tomorrow, but it should still be a Category 4 storm.

Warning signals may be raised on Sunday in eastern and central Luzon, and high winds and heavy rain are forecast for the area, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

“The best thing is to evacuate the area,” Richards said. “But if they are going to stay and withstand it, people need to prepare to be able to survive after the storm passes.”

Northern Luzon was hit by Super Typhoon Mangkhut in September, a storm which went on to strike Hong Kong. At their peak both storms had winds of 180 mph, making them the strongest in the world this year. MDT/Bloomberg

Saipan airport reopens for limited service

Saipan Intenational Airport has been reopened with limited service after the Northern Mariana Islands were hit by Super Typhoon Yutu. A statement posted on the Facebook page of Northern Mariana Islands Gov. Ralph Torres says the airport is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is limited to receiving six international flights per day starting yesterday. Inbound flights are restricted to residents and humanitarian aid. The airport sustained significant damage to buildings and several small, crumpled planes were scattered around the tarmac after the storm. Officials say the airport is still mostly without power, and the Transportation Security Administration has only one working scanning machine. The statement says baggage and cargo may have to be examined by hand. Saipan is a popular tourist destination for visitors from China and South Korea, just a few hours away by plane. Some 650,000 tourists visited in the 2017 fiscal year, according to the Marianas Visitors Authority.