Typhoon Lupit was last seen 68 miles away from Cagayan Province, with winds of up to 74 miles per hour. Forecasters said it would make landfall by Sunday or Monday.

The prayers of these farmers in the Philippines may be answered. The weather bureau said today the typhoon has been stationary in the morning.

Rice and corn farmers in the town of Pasuquin, which falls under the highest storm warning, said they hope the typhoon would change course.

[Jerry Ratuita, Farmer]:
"I hope the typhoon doesn't come, so that our crops will not get damaged. We're hoping we can harvest something, anything, even just a little."

More than 20 provinces in the northern Philippines have been placed under a storm warning.

The weather bureau advised residents in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes to take precautionary measures against flashfloods and landslides.

Coastal communities were warned of possible storm surges, and hundreds of residents have already been evacuated to higher ground.

In Laoag City, navy and air force teams started preparing rescue equipment.

[Francisco Villa, Air Force Search & Rescue]:
"We're always ready, whether the typhoon comes or changes its course. We've made preparations and we've been on standby for a couple of days."

The government and the World Food Program had begun delivering food to northern regions that will likely be affected by Lupit.

The U.S. has three ships on standby to assist with relief.

Just last month, two deadly typhoons, Ketsana and Parma, flooded large swathes of the capital Manila and farming provinces, killed over 900 people and affected nearly nine million. 200,000 homes were destroyed.