MANILA -- Tropical cyclone warning signals were lifted Sunday afternoon, as Typhoon Karen (Sarika) was moving away from the country and expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility Sunday night.
The typhoon, though, has killed at least two people, knocked out power and isolated villages in Luzon amid floods and toppled trees. It blew into Aurora province early Sunday and barreled fast through heavily-populated agricultural provinces, including landslide-prone areas, with sustained winds of 130 kilometers (80 miles) per hour and gusts of 220 kph (136 mph).
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Sunday afternoon that the typhoon slightly intensified while moving away from the country.
As of 4 p.m. Sunday, Karen was located at 260 kilometers west northwest of Iba, Zambales, with maximum sustained winds of 130 kph near the center and gusts of up to 200 kph. It was forecast to move west northwest at 24 kph.
But while Karen was moving away from the country, another typhoon with international name Haima was expected to enter the eastern boundary of the Philippine area of responsibility by Monday afternoon (October 17).
Haima was located as of 4 p.m. Sunday at 1,535 kilometers east of Visayas, said Pagasa.
The weather bureau advised fisherfolk and those with small seacrafts not to venture out over the seaboards of northern Luzon and the western seaboard of central Luzon because of the tropical cyclones.
It said Karen will continue to bring moderate to heavy rains particularly in areas within its 500-kilometer diameter. (Sunnex/With AP)