Typhoon Ruby Latest News 2014: Evacuations Speed Up As Typhoon Hagupit Approaches Philippines

Typhoon Hagupit has been downgraded from a "Super Typhoon" status but it looks set to clobber the islands of the Philippines through the weekend and into the beginning of the new week. Also the storm which is better known locally by its moniker "Typhoon Ruby" has slowed, so it will take longer to pass over the archipelago and therefore bring more devastation.

Even though it has been downgraded, residents and officials in and around the region of Manila and the city of Tacloban have heeded warnings and massive evacuations have been taking place.

The storm is currently predicted to pass close to Tacloban which witnessed massive devastation and saw over 6,000 dead when Typhoon Haiyan hit last November. In the city BBC describes a sense of "Déjà vu" as residents prepare for the storm. However, residents note that they are better prepared than last year. Many have been evacuated to a sports stadium where they have stored enough basic commodities such as rice and beans for a long stay.

Even though the storm will not directly hit the capital city of Manila, it will pass over provinces to the south which supply power to the city. However, as the storm is currently around 600 kilometers in diameter it will eventually bring a large amount of rain and high wind to the capital even though its epicenter might not pass directly over it.

As Typhoon Hagupit weakens it was expected to make landfall sometime on Saturday evening or on Sunday morning.

The region in and around the Philippines is no stranger to typhoons and Hagupit is the biggest storm in this season. After gaining "super typhoon" billing the storm lost, regained and lost its status again, and it looks likely that it will pass over the islands in a weakened state. However, meteorologists are still indicating that Hagupit could bring massive storm surges along with maximum wind speeds of around 195km/h (120mph).