Philippines: Typhoon Kammuri displaces hundreds of thousands

Typhoon Kammuri has caused widespread disruption to life in the Philippines, shutting down schools, offices and transport amid fierce winds and heavy rain. Over 483,000 people were forced to flee their homes in Bicol and nearby provinces. Officials warned of storm surges and prolonged heavy rain.

Kammuri, locally called Tisoy, is the 20th cyclone to hit the Philippines this year, according to the weather bureau. It was expected to move past the country by Friday morning.

The storm's potent gusts forced authorities to close Manila's international airport on Tuesday as a precaution. Nearly 500 flights were cancelled, and officials warned passengers not to come to the airport.

The Philippines' coast guard also suspended sea travel in the northeast, stranding thousands of travelers, cargo ships and smaller watercraft in the archipelago nation.

The Philippines is currently hosting thousands of Southeast Asian athletes for biennial regional games that opened on Saturday and run until December 11. The storm has forced organizers to postpone several events until later in the competition, among them surfing, kayak, windsurfing, polo, sailing, skateboarding and canoeing.

The Philippines is battered by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year and has frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, making the archipelago of more than 100 million people one of the world's most disaster-prone nations. The country's deadliest cyclone on record was Super Typhoon Haiyan, which left more than 7,300 people dead or missing in 2013.