Philippines braces for powerful, erratic typhoon
A wide swath of the Philippines, including the capital Manila, braced Friday for a dangerously erratic and powerful typhoon approaching from the Pacific, about a year after the country was lashed by Typhoon Haiyan that left more than 7,300 people dead.
Typhoon Hagupit -- Filipino for "smash" -- strengthened overnight with its sustained winds intensifying to134 miles per hour and gusts of 155 mph. The local weather agency PAGASA's forecasts show the typhoon may hit Eastern Samar province late Saturday or early Sunday.
But a forecast by the U.S. military's Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Hawaii said Hagupit may veer northward after making landfall and possibly threaten Manila, which has a population of more than 12 million people.
