Philippine officials began evacuating hundreds of villagers, shut down schools and offices and imposed a no-sail ban Monday as Typhoon Mawar approached the country’s northern provinces.
The storm, locally named Betty, was not expected to make landfall in the mountainous region. But forecasters warned that the typhoon would slow down considerably off the northernmost province of Batanes from Tuesday to Wednesday and could cause dangerous tidal surges, flash floods and landslides as it blows past.
