<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Thousands of people have been evacuated and government offices have been closed as a a super typhoon bashes the Philippines eastern islands.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Typhoon Noru has caused gusts of up to 240kph (149mph) on the main island Luzon, where more than half of the country's 110 million population live.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Forecasters say the storm experienced an "explosive intensification" as it made landfall west of Luzon.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The storm could cause landslides, flash flooding and dangerous storm surges.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">More than 8,400 people have already been evacuated from its path, and officials have issued warnings of "serious flooding" in areas of the capital, Manila.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The storm's speed increased by 90 km/h in 24 hours. Weather forecaster Robb Gile told news agency AFP that its increased speed was "unprecedented".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Philippine weather service has issued a wind signal five for Luzon, the highest warning level which marks Noru as a super typhoon.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Richard Gordon, chairman of the Red Cross in the Philippines, told the BBC that heavy rainfalls had filled many of the country's dams, leading to a risk of flooding.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">National police chief Gen Rodolfo Azurin urged people to comply with evacuation orders.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In Quezon Province, east of Manila, fishermen have been prevented from heading to sea, and there were reports of some areas being without power.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Flights and ferry services have been cancelled. On Luzon - the most populous island - President Ferdinand Marcos suspended all government work and school classes were also cancelled.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In Dingalan municipality, northeast of Manila and on the Pacific coast, residents were forced to seek shelter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We live away from the coast so we're staying put so far. We're more worried about the water from the mountains," a resident told AFP.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Authorities warned of dangerous storm surges along the eastern coast, as well as heavy agricultural losses.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Trading on the country's stock exchange will also be suspended on Monday and Mr Marcos warned that the energy ministry had placed on high alert all energy-related industries in the county.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thousands of volunteers are monitoring river levels, bridges and mountains for landslides which could hamper rescue efforts, said Dick Gordon, chairman of the Philippine Red Cross.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Information will be crucial in getting help to where it is needed, he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean, is highly vulnerable to storms. It sees an annual average of 20 tropical storms.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">An estimated 400 people died when Typhoon Rai hit the country in December 2021, with rescue teams describing scenes of "complete carnage".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And in 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful tropical storms ever recorded, killed some 6,300 people. Source: BBC</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">bnbd24/kh</div>