We had no classes for two days because of a super typhoon that came through the Philippines in the past few days (first week of December 2014). It was named Typhoon Ruby or Hagupit. It entered through the south east with its first landfall in Eastern Samar coming in with a wind speed of about 150-170kph.  This came just about 13 months after the deadly Super Typhoon Haiyan or Yolanda that brought death and damage to the Philippines in November 2013.

Typhoon Hagupit made several landfalls while moving through the Philippine islands.  Many different weather agencies from the Philippines, Japan, US and Australia were monitoring it and had different paths that were forecasted.  Since the Philippines had a terrible experience last year with Typhoon Haiayan, the government was much better prepared this year.  According to reports about 1 million people were evacuated all throughout the Philippines which put the deaths at a low number of only 20+ people. 

The problem with Typhoon Hagupit was not only the wind strength but the moving speed of the typhoon, which was only 7-10 kph.  The slow movement of the typhoon caused more damage as it tends to linger around the land areas and also drop more rain on the ground.  This becomes the cause of flooding in flood prone areas specially in the Metro Manila area. 

Our own City of San Pablo experienced continuous rains for two days.  The City government declared a state of calamity because of the rains.  They evacuated many families along rivers but have sent them home today.  Typhoon Hagupit was downgraded to a tropical storm, but it still continues to bring rains.

The Philippines experiences an average of about 18-21 typhoons per year. Typhoon Hagupit is our 18^th for this year and our Weather agency (PAGASA) is monitoring a cloud cluster forming about 2500 km to the east of Mindanao.

The Climate Change Conference in Lima, Peru is happening now.  The countries of the world are gathered for the United Nation?s Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference to discuss climate change policies.  As many of the Philippine delegates have said we cannot deny the reality of climate change because we experience its impacts with the Super Typhoons that are increasing in number and intensity.  It's time to do something and stop talking.

Secretary Lucille Sering of the Climate Change Commission of the Philippines said in her speech at the conference, "We hope that the Philippine experience, no matter how difficult, can help unite all nations to take more concrete actions on climate change."

Source:  http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/12/08/3600673/philippines-typhoon-hagupit-climate-impacts/