Typhoon Vamco: Here's what you need to know

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TYPHOON VAMCO

Typhoon Vamco lashed the provinces in the main Luzon island today, killing at least two people.
It is the 21st cyclone for this year that has hit the Philippines, and the sixth in the past five weeks.
The typhoon packed winds of up to 155 kilometres per hour as it swept across Luzon after making landfall overnight, with authorities warning of landslides and potentially deadly storms.
President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered government agencies to rush aid to people affected after the storm has brought the worst flooding in Manila in years.
Now, nearly three million households in and around Manila are without power as people waded through waist-high floods, carrying valuables and pets.

BATTERED JUST TWO WEEKS AGO

Vamco comes as communities are still trying to clean up after Typhoon Goni that battered the country two weeks ago.
Goni was the world's most powerful tropical cyclone this year. It brought torrential rains and violent winds with sustained speed up to 215 kilometres per hour.
It is among the strongest typhoons to hit the Philippines since Haiyan, which killed more than 6,300 people in 2013.

WHAT IS THE DAMAGE?

Over the past month, floods and landslides from the storms have killed at least 160 people, left dozens missing and damaged 390,000 houses.
Currently Vamco has weakened, with sustained winds of 130 kilometres per hour and gusts of up to 160 kilometres per hour, after exiting Luzon island.
According to the National Centre for Hydrometeorology Forecasting, Vamco is now moving towards the East Sea and is set to affect the central region of Vietnam.

WHY IS THE PHILIPPINES PRONE TO TYPHOONS?

The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons every year.
The country is prone to tropical cyclones due to its geographical location which generally produce heavy rains and flooding of large areas and also strong winds which result in heavy casualties to human life and destruction to crops and properties.