Super typhoon hits Philippines; rice crop at risk

MANILA (Reuters) - Super typhoon Megi slammed into the northern Philippines shortly before noon on Monday, cutting off power, forcing airlines to cancel flights and putting the region's rice crop at risk.
A military rescuer prepares life saving equipment as Typhoon Megi approaches in northern Philippines during a formation at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City Metro Manila October 17, 2010. (REUTERS/Cheryl Ravelo)

Megi, the 10th and strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, hit Isabela province at 11:25 a.m. (0325 GMT) and was heading west southwest across the north of the main island of Luzon with winds of 225 kph near the centre, forecasters said.

"We expect it to weaken and slow down after slamming into the mountains," Mario Palafox, a senior forecaster told reporters, saying the typhoon's eye had shrank to about 50 km but is expected to bring more rain and stronger winds.

Tropical Storm Risk (http://www.tropicalstormrisk.com) said Megi, known locally as Juan, was a category 5 super typhoon, the highest rating, with winds of more than 250 kph (155 mph).

Andrew Villacorta, regional executive director in the agriculture department, said Luzon's Cagayan valley accounted for 12 percent of national rice output, or about 1 million tonnes of unmilled rice, lower than earlier estimates from local officials.

"Isabela and Cagayan are expected to be hit hard," Villacorta said. "Our estimates showed about 159,000 metric tonnes will be lost from Isabela. About 88,000 hectares will be affected. In Cagayan province, about 43,000 hectares will be affected. The estimated loss will be around 63,000 metric tonnes."

He said just over one third of the crop had been harvested, while about 90 percent of the corn crop had been harvested.

Last year, the country lost 1.3 million tonnes of paddy rice following three strong typhoons in September and October, prompting it to go to the market early to boost its rice stocks.

"This could bring destruction to our crops," Val Perdido, a regional farm official, told reporters.

"It's the peak of harvest season now. More than 230,000 hectares of rice fields are still in their reproductive and maturing stages,"

Agricultural production makes up a fifth of the Southeast Asian country's GDP.

EVACUATIONS

Benito Ramos, head of the national disaster agency, said in a radio interview more than 3,000 people had been evacuated in Cagayan. Officials have warned of rough seas, and the risk of flash flooding, storm surges and landslides.

A change in direction of the typhoon saw the capital, Manila, placed on storm signal 1, the lowest level on the local typhoon alert scale, with the weather department saying there were risks of winds of up to 60 kph. Billboards in the city have been taken down as a precaution.

President Benigno Aquino's cabinet held a meeting at an army base in Manila to review disaster preparations, although Aquino did not attend.

Landslides blocked roads in Apayao province in Luzon while police said a farmer drowned in a swollen river in Cagayan province while pulling a water buffalo to safety.

On Monday, Economic Planning Secretary Cayetano Paderanga said the economy likely grew at a slower pace year-on-year in the third quarter from the previous three months, but growth over the course of 2010 could be above 5-6 percent.

($1 = 43.2 pesos)