In Philippines, Typhoon Krathon lashed the northernmost islands of the Philippines today. This led officials to evacuate villagers, shut down schools and inter-island ferries and warn of potentially very destructive damage to coastal villages.

Typhoon Krathon was last tracked over the coastal waters of Balintang island off the provinces of Cagayan and Batanes.The slow-moving Krathon was blowing westward and could strengthen into a super typhoon when it changes direction tomorrow towards Taiwan. As of now, there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The weather agency warned of moderate to high risk of life-threatening storm surge in the next 48 hours in the coastal villages of Batanes, the nearby Babuyan islands and Cagayan province.

About 20 storms and typhoons batter the Philippines each year. The archipelago also lies in the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” a region along most of the Pacific Ocean rim where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.