CNN
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The Philippines has issued an extreme emergency alert as Super Typhoon Nauru approaches.
The storm, locally known as Super Typhoon Kartin, reached super typhoon status after it suddenly intensified early Sunday morning local time in the Philippines.
“Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa and Bicol regions have activated the highest level of emergency preparedness and response protocols,” the National Disaster Mitigation and Management Council said.
It urged the public to be careful with strong winds expected in the next 18 hours
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in an hourly live TV briefing that the typhoon is expected to make landfall in northern Quezon or southern Aurora in the evening.
It said it did not rule out making landfall on the Polillo Islands in the early afternoon.
Schools in several cities, including Muntinlupa and Aurora, were closed on Monday, September 2. 26, due to the approaching storm.
Nauru’s winds are now equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane in the United States, according to CNN Weather.
It is expected to bring high waves and storm surges, heavy rain and winds of over 200 km/h (124 mph) to Luzon over the next 24 hours.
PAGASA issued a warning to the Polilo Islands, expecting widespread damage from the storm.
The warning came after the storm rapidly intensified in the early hours of Sunday.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center said it had intensified from a typhoon of 140 kilometers per hour (85 mph) to a super typhoon of 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph) in just six hours.
Earlier Sunday, PAGASA issued a level 4 signal for the Polilo Islands, with widespread damage expected, and a level 2 and 3 warning for most of Luzon, including Metro Manila.
Meanwhile, Japanese authorities said on Sunday that two people were killed in a landslide caused by Tropical Storm Talas.
According to the Shizuoka prefectural government, a car went missing after falling into a river.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the prefecture saw its heaviest daily rainfall on record, with a record 416.5 mm in the Suruga Ward of Shizuoka City.
During the downpour, the county urged 1.2 million households, or about 3 million people, to evacuate.
More than 1,000 homes and numerous roads were flooded in the county, it said, adding that multiple bridges had collapsed.