Typhoon Goni to hit Philippines early Sunday after gaining strength

Typhoon Goni is expected to hit the Philippines earlier than expected on Sunday as it continues to gather strength, according to the Philippine Tropical Cyclone Advisories website.

The storm may be upgraded to a super typhoon in the next 12 hours and could make landfall in the eastern provinces of Catanduanes and Camarines early Sunday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said in its 8 a.m. advisory. The typhoon was earlier predicted to reach the Philippines in the afternoon.

Goni’s winds are forecast to hit 185 to 215 kilometers (115 to 134 miles) an hour as it moves inland. The cyclone comes days after Typhoon Molave lashed the country, leaving at least 22 dead and causing a minimum of 1.81 billion pesos ($37.4 million) of damage to crops.