Philippines braces for tropical storm Conson

Manila, Sep 7 The Philippines is bracing for tropical storm Conson after the state weather service warned that it could bring strong winds and heavy rains in the central region and parts of the southern tip of the Bicol peninsula.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said that at 4 p.m. on Monday evening, the storm was spotted 95 km east of Guiuan town in the Eastern Samar province, reports Xinhua news agency.

The bureau said the storm was blowing westward or northwestward 20 km per hour, packing winds of 75 km per hour and gusts of up to 90 km per hour.

Already, the bureau raised warning signals in several areas on the path of the storm.

In the next 24 hours, the tropical storm might bring "moderate to heavy at times intense rains" and strong winds in the provinces of Northern Samar, Eastern Samar in the central Philippines, and Sorsogon in the Bicol region, warned the bureau.

The bureau warned that isolated to scattered flash flooding and rain-induced landslides were possible, especially in areas that were highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards.

"Mariners of small sea crafts are advised to take precautionary measures when venturing out to sea. Inexperienced mariners should avoid navigating in these conditions," the bureau said.

The bureau said the storm will track the northwestward parallel to the country's east coast until it makes landfall over the northern-central Luzon area by Thursday morning.

Typhoons and tropical storms regularly batter the Philippines, claiming lives and costing billions of dollars in damages.

Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines is among the world's most disaster-prone countries, facing active volcanoes, frequent earthquakes, and an average of 20 typhoons a year, causing floods and landslides.