Philippines: Christmas Typhoon Phanfone Batters Central Region 7

Typhoon Phanfone that started as a tropical cyclone, intensified into a full-blown typhoon on Christmas Eve, lashed the central islands of the Philippines on the late evening of December 24 and continued to batter several islands in the central region of the nation on Christmas Day, December 25. Even before landfall on Tuesday, many travelers were already stranded at terminals due to numerous air and sea travel cancellations. Many were forced to celebrate their Christmas in air, sea and bus terminals away from loved ones. For those who were lucky enough to be with relatives, still many woke up to howling winds and heavy rains. Phanfone with maximum sustained winds of 140 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 195 kph moves at 20 kph and is expected to travel across the central region and out of the Philippines on Thursday or Friday. 1 min video (3 clips) . Video Location: Caticlan, Aklan Province, Philippines. (Footage by @audstagramer/Spectee via Getty Images UGC)