MANILA, Philippines – More than 150,000 people evacuated to safer ground in eastern Philippine provinces Monday as a typhoon approached from the Pacific, with authorities warning of torrential rains, potentially destructive winds and storm surges of up to 3 meters (nearly 10 feet).

Typhoon Kalmaegi was forecast to slam into shore Monday night or early Tuesday. It was last spotted about 95 kilometers (59 miles) southeast of Guiuan town in Eastern Samar province, with sustained winds of up to 140 kilometers (87 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 170 kph (106 mph).

It was expected to blow westward and batter central island provinces, including Cebu , which is still recovering from a 6.9-magnitude earthquake on Sept. 30 that left at least 79 dead and displaced thousands of people when hous

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