Rush to set up shelter in typhoon-hit FSM

The head of the Red Cross in Federated States of Micronesia says authorities in Chuuk and Yap states are rushing to get emergency shelter set up after typhoon Maysak displaced thousands last week.

Isao Frank says on some islands, the category five typhoon destroyed up to 90 percent of homes, and evacuation centres are overcrowded.

He says agencies have spent the weekend sending relief supplies by boat and plane to affected areas.

"On some islands up to 90 percent of homes have been destroyed and much of the population has been displaced. So the situation on the islands is really dire right now."

Isao Frank says the country will need long-term support from the international community to recover.

The International Organisation for Migration has announced that it is sending personnel and relief supplies to FSM and the United States has also released funding under the Compact of Free Association between the two countries.

Second FSM tropical storm weakens

The US National Weather Service says a tropical storm in the Federated States of Micronesia is weakening fast and is unlikely to pose any threat to areas still reeling from typhoon Maysak.

A meteorologist on Guam, Mike Middlebrook, says Haishen has been downgraded to a tropical depression that will likely dissipate by Tuesday.

He says the storm was forecast to hit Chuuk state, where five people will killed and thousands left homeless when it was hit by typhoon Maysak last week.

"So Chuuk kind of dodged this one, which is a good thing because they're still reeling from the effects of Maysak and they don't need any more tropical storms."

Mike Middlebrook says it's unusual for the northwestern Pacific to have as many strong systems as it's had so early in its season, which doesn't usually pick up until about May.