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Millions hunker down in Philippine capital ahead of storm

However just as crucially, Hagupit’s winds were significantly weaker than Haiyan, which was the strongest storm ever recorded on land. There was also no repeat of Haiyan’s tsunami-like storm surges.

Hagupit’s sustained winds dropped to 140 kilometres an hour on Sunday, then continued to weaken after leaving the eastern Philippine islands and passing over the Sibuyan Sea southeast of Manila.

Its winds were down to 110 kilometres an hour on Monday morning and were expected to weaken further as it passed just south of the capital in the evening, according to local weather agency Pagasa.

However Pagasa said the winds were still capable of doing major damage to homes, and heavy rains were expected within Hagupit’s 450-kilometre-wide weather front.

The Philippines endures about 20 major storms a year, many of them deadly.

But scientists say the storms are becoming more violent and unpredictable because of climate change.

Greenpeace International director Kumi Naidoo called on United Nations negotiators currently meeting in Peru to take note of Hagupit and act with more urgency to hammer out a world pact on global warming.

“Nature does not negotiate. We actually have to wake up and smell the coffee,” Naidoo, who is in the Philippines to “bear witness” to Hagupit, told AFP.

“We need to understand that we are running out of time.”

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