Cyclone Betty triggers more displacements, disrupts flights in Philippines

By Alperen Aktas

ANKARA (AA) - Typhoon Betty has affected over 11,000 people and forced more than 5,000 to flee their homes in the Philippines, said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Tuesday.

The typhoon has impacted 11,264 individuals across various regions, including Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Western Visayas, and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Currently, 3,483 individuals are seeking shelter in evacuation centers, while 381 people have evacuated their homes but are staying elsewhere, the council said in a report.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has reported the cancellation of at least 14 flights on Tuesday due to the severe weather caused by Cyclone Betty.

It is currently located approximately 315 kilometers (195 miles) east of Basco in Batanes, an archipelagic province in the Philippines. It has maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour (93 miles per hour) near its center, with gusts reaching up to 185 kph (115 mph), according to the tropical cyclone bulletin from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration.

The Philippines authorities began evacuating thousands of villagers, shut down schools and offices, and imposed a no-sail ban Monday as Cyclone Betty approached the country’s northern provinces.

The Betty is expected to strengthen the southwest monsoon, resulting in intense rainfall over Occidental Mindoro, a western province of the Philippines, until Wednesday.