MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III on Thursday night urged Filipinos to prepare for the wrath of Super Typhoon "Yolanda," the strongest tropical cylone to hit the country this year.
In a televised address on Thursday evening, Aquino asked for cooperation among Filipinos for the possible severe effects of the approaching super typhoon.
"Sa kasalukuyang datos, mukha pong mas matindi ang hagupit ni Yolanda kaysa kay Pablo," Aquino said.
"Seryosong peligro ito at maaaring mabawasan ang epekto kung gagamitin natin ang impormasyon upang maghanda," he added.
Aquino assured that all the disaster risk reduction and management councils are now prepared and relief goods have been pre-positioned in areas expected to be affected.
For this year, Yolanda is the 24th tropical cyclone to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility and the strongest to hit land.
State weather bureau PAGASA and international agencies have classified Yolanda as a super typhoon.
As of 4 p.m., Yolanda was located at 543 km Southeast of Guiuan, Eastern Samar bearing maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 250 kph.
Public storm warning signal no. 4 has been raised in five provinces of Eastern Visayas, where Yolanda is expected to make landfall on Friday morning.
Read: Signal #4 up in Eastern Visayas due to faster 'Yolanda'