Death toll from Philippines storm rises to 42

The death toll from the strongest storm to hit the Philippines this year rose to 42 on April 12, as rescuers recovered more bodies from villages devastated by rain-induced landslides, Report informs referring to Barron’s.

Emergency personnel suspended the search for survivors around Baybay City, in the central province of Leyte, in the late afternoon as it was "too dangerous" to continue in the dark, said Marissa Miguel Cano, public information officer for the city government.

Tropical storm Megi - known in the Philippines by its local name Agaton - is the first major storm to hit the country this year, AFP reports.

Whipping up seas, it forced dozens of ports to suspend operations and stranded more than 9,000 people at the start of Holy Week, one of the busiest travel periods of the year in the mostly Catholic country.

The storm comes four months after super typhoon Rai devastated swathes of the archipelago nation, killing more than 400 people and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.

Scientists have long warned typhoons are strengthening more rapidly as the world becomes warmer due to climate change.

The Philippines - ranked among the most vulnerable nations to its impacts - is hit by an average of 20 storms every year.