MANILA – Typhoon Yinxing made landfall in the Philippines on Nov. 7, bringing dangerous winds and heavy rain to Luzon, the country’s most populous island.

The tropical cyclone, known locally as Marce, hit the northern coast of Luzon twice, hitting the city of Santa Ana at 3:40 p.m. as a Category 4 storm before moving westward across a bay to hit the city. from Sánchez-Mira at 9:00 pm, according to the country’s meteorological service.

Both cities are in Cagayan province, an area with a rugged coastline at the northern end of the Philippine island chain, nearly 500 miles (804 kilometers) north of Manila.

The storm was downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane early on November 8, according to meteorologists, with sustained winds of 115 kilometers per hour.

While there were no immediate reports of casualties. Authorities warned early on the morning of Nov. 8 that “life-threatening conditions persist” in parts of Cagayan and the neighboring provinces of Apayao and Ilocos Norte.

Authorities warned of storm surges that would exceed 10 feet (3 m) and local media reported uprooted trees and flying debris.

Shortly before Typhoon Yinxing made landfall in Santa Ana on the afternoon of Nov. 7, it had maximum sustained winds of about 90 miles per hour, the U.S. Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center said in an advisory. .

At 11:00 p.m., Philippine authorities reported sustained winds of about 110 kilometers per hour with gusts of up to 180 kilometers per hour. The storm, which authorities said was moving west at about 13 kilometers per hour, was expected to exit Philippine waters on the afternoon of November 8.

Typhoon Yinxing comes on the heels of back-to-back storms in the Philippines this fall. In late October, Tropical Storm Trami killed at least 80 people and forced half a million residents to evacuate.

Before Typhoon Yinxing, more than 160,000 people had been evacuated by the morning of Nov. 7, according to the Civil Defense Office. Officials discouraged travel and plans were being put in place to deliver food and fuel to the area in case of shortages. Some schools and workplaces were closed and dam operators anticipated heavy rain.

The Philippine coast guard was tasked with ensuring supplies reached isolated communities, particularly in the northern province of Batanes, a remote archipelago.

On November 7, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said in a statement that he was putting the country on “high alert” and had ordered the public works and transportation departments to be ready for road clearing operations. The government issued flash flood and landslide warnings and urged residents to evacuate or seek shelter.

The Philippines is prone to storms, experiencing an average of 20 a year.

Before Tropical Storm Trami in October, Typhoon Krathon hit the northern regions of the country in September, causing flash flooding. The storms, which devastated crops and affected millions of people, led Marcos to declare a day of national mourning this week and visit Batangas province, one of the hardest-hit areas, according to The Associated Press.

In 2020, Typhoon Vamco caused devastating flooding in Cagayan province after a river burst its banks, submerging almost all of its 28 villages. NYTIMES