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Typhoon Melor Heads to Sea After Crossing Central Philippines


Boys pedal their way past boats placed on a safer area in Legazpi city, central Philippines as Typhoon Melor slammed into the eastern Philippines, Monday, Dec. 14, 2015.
Boys pedal their way past boats placed on a safer area in Legazpi city, central Philippines as Typhoon Melor slammed into the eastern Philippines, Monday, Dec. 14, 2015.

Typhoon Melor is heading into the South China Sea after roaring across the central Philippines Monday, leaving at least one person dead and thousands without power.

The typhoon made landfall early Monday on Samar island carrying winds of 185 kilometers an hour. Authorities evacuated over 700,000 residents from Melor's path hours ahead of its arrival, and cancelled dozens of domestic flights and ferry services.

Forecasters say Melor, known locally as Nona, is still has wind gusts of 170 kilometers an hour as it heads towards Mindoro island. It is expected to lose more strength when it reaches South China Sea later Tuesday.

About 20 typhoons strike the Philippines each year. Many areas were devastated when Typhoon Haiyan struck the archipelago in November 2013, leaving more than 7,300 dead.

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