Tropical storm spares Philippines

The erratic direction of Lupit — meaning cruel in Filipino — had baffled forecasters. The typhoon was expected to ram into northeastern Cagayan province on Friday, but weakened into a tropical storm and stayed offshore.

It was the third successive storm in a month to threaten the region. Authorities shepherded at least 2,500 people to seek shelter following back-to-back typhoons in late September and early October that killed nearly 1,000 people, most of them buried in mudslides.

Strong winds

Yesterday, Lupit moved further northeast of the Batanes islands in the country's northernmost tip. It was still packing winds of up to 95km/h and gusts of up to 120km/h.

Government forecaster Manny Mendoza said Lupit may be out of Philippine territory and closer to southern Japan by late today.

Northern provinces enjoyed sunny but partly cloudy weather as Lupit drifted away.

Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Torres, spokesman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), said residents who were evacuated to pre-empt casualties were being told they may go home. Relief and rescue units were being pulled out, with operations terminated yesterday morning, he said.

Melchito Castro, regional head of the Office of Civil Defence in Cagayan, said some of the displaced people began going home yesterday from schools and village halls that were used to house them.

"It's such a relief," Castro told The Associated Press.

"Imagine for a week we were waiting for what would happen — whether it would make landfall or not."