Tropical storm Aere slammed into the eastern Philippines early Sunday, bringing torrential rains and landslides that have killed at least nine people and forced thousands of others to flee their homes.
The Philippines’ state weather bureau , reporting late Sunday, said the storm made landfall on the island of Catanduanes and was moving northwest at 15 kilometers an hour toward the main island of Luzon and the capital, Manila. Maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers an hour were reported, as the storm flooded roadways, wrecked homes, forced flight cancellations and spread havoc over a wide area.
A spokesman says Philippine President Benigno Aquino delayed his departure from a regional summit in Indonesia until Monday, to avoid the weather disturbance.
The Philippines is regularly battered by tropical storms that form over the western Pacific and move eastward.
