VILLAGERS in Batanes province were forced to evacuate on Wednesday as Super Typhoon Leon continued to move closer to the nation still reeling from Tropical Storm Kristine that left at least 182 dead and missing and emergency shelters crammed with displaced people.

The state weather bureau placed Batanes under Storm Signal No. 4. Signal No. 3 was raised over the eastern portion of Babuyan Islands and the northeastern portion of mainland Cagayan, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its 2 p.m. bulletin.