MANILA, Philippines –
The fifth major storm in three weeks slammed into the northeastern Philippines on Thursday, prompting more largescale evacuations and a United Nations call for emergency funds to help the government address the plight of hard-hit rural villagers.
Typhoon Usagi had sustained winds of up to 175 kilometres (109 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 240 km/h (149 mph) when it slammed into the coastal town of Baggao in Cagayan province at the northern tip of Luzon, the country’s most populous agricultural region. Locally named Ofel, the typhoon was barreling northwestward and was forecast to blow away overnight toward southern Taiwan.
Another storm was brewing in the Pacific and may hit the northern Philippines this weekend, according to forecasters.
The country’s weather agency warned of life-threatening tidal surges of more than three metres …