A new typhoon makes landfall in the Philippines after typhoon Usagi wreaks havoc | News of Heaven

Another dangerous typhoon is headed for the Philippines, threatening an area where dozens of people have been killed by floods and landslides in the past few weeks, weather officials said.

Typhoon Usagi swept through the island nation on Friday as rescuers tried to reach residents trapped on rooftops in the northern island of Luzon, where herds of livestock were destroyed.

Thousands of people were displaced by Usagi, the fifth major typhoon to hit the country in less than a month.

It weakened as it headed towards Taiwan, after blowing up houses in its path.

The latest disasters have killed at least 159 people and prompted the United Nations to appeal for $32.9m in aid to the worst-hit regions.

On Thursday, floods caused by Usagi hit 10 evacuated villages in the town of Gonzaga in Cagayan province, rescue chief Edward Gaspar told AFP news agency.

“We rescued a number of people who refused to move to shelters and were trapped on the roofs of houses,” said Gaspar.

Trees uprooted by floods damaged a major bridge in Gonzaga, which separates Santa Ana, a coastal city of about 36,000 people, Cagayan officials said.

“Most of the evicted have returned to their homes, but we have detained some of them. We must first check if their houses are still safe for them to live in,” said Bonifacio Espiritu, head of the security office in Cagayan, told AFP.

Early Friday, Usagi was over the Luzon Strait with sustained winds of 120km/h (75mph) as it headed south of Taiwan, where authorities downgraded it to a tropical storm.

But violent weather was forecast to continue in the central Philippines, where Tropical Storm Man-yi will make landfall on Sunday.

Weather forecasters say they are likely to strike in or near the populous capital, Manila.

According to UN research, last month's storms damaged or destroyed 207,000 houses, forcing 700,000 people to seek temporary shelter.

Many families lacked essential items such as sleeping mats, hygiene items and cooking utensils, and had limited access to clean drinking water.

Thousands of hectares of farmland were destroyed and continued flooding is likely to delay replanting efforts and worsen food supply problems, the report added.

About 20 major typhoons and typhoons hit the Southeast Asian country or nearby waters each year, killing scores of people and keeping millions in perpetual poverty, but it's rare for so many weather events to occur in a small window.