Haima hit Cagayan province on the northeastern end of the archipelago about 11 p.m. local time. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center downgraded it from a super typhoon before it made landfall.

Winds of 220 kilometers per hour (137 mph) had put it on par with a Category 4 hurricane, the center said. It's expected to affect as many as 2.7 million people in seven provinces before veering northwest toward the Chinese coast by Friday.

It is blasting the Philippines with strong winds and heavy rainfall that could trigger landslides in the mountainous region of the northern island of Luzon.

More than 60,000 people have already been affeted by the typhoon, as it traveled across the Philippines, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development , with almost 15,000 people in evacuation centers. Hundreds of thousands of food packs were ready to be deployed by the government early on Thursday morning. At its peak, Haima packed winds of up to 315 kilometers per hour (195 mph), the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale It is the third-strongest typhoon of the season, behind Nepartak and Meranti , both of which lashed Taiwan and China. The storm surge and winds near the center of Haima could be catastrophic. The storm will be much weaker by the time it heads toward China, though flooding could still occur. Typhoon Sarika has caused widespread damage across the Philippines after striking Sunday. According to data going back to 1950 from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, it will be just the third time back-to-back storms with an intensity of Category 4 or higher have hit the Philippines. At least three people were killed Sunday as Sarika crossed the archipelago north of Manila as a Category 4 storm. Almost 10,000 people were displaced, according to aid organization Care International. On Tuesday, that weather system made landfall on the southern Chinese island of Hainan, prompting the government to close schools in the island province and suspend high-speed rail services, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported. About 500,000 people were evacuated ahead of the storm, Xinhua reported. </s> MANILA: One of the most powerful typhoons to ever hit the Philippines destroyed houses, tore roofs off schools and ripped giant trees out of the ground on Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of deaths.

Super Typhoon Haima hit the northern province of Cagayan late on Wednesday night with winds almost on a par with catastrophic Haiyan, which was then the strongest storm to strike the disaster-prone Southeast Asian archipelago and claimed more than 7,350 lives in 2013.

Haima roared across mountain and farming communities of the northern regions of the main island of Luzon overnight, and by morning a picture was emerging of widescale destruction.

“Rice and corn plants as far as the eye can see are flattened,” Villamor Visaya, a university teacher in Ilagan, one of the main northern cities with a population of 130,000 people, told AFP by telephone.

“Many houses were destroyed. I saw one school building crushed under a large tree… it was as if our house was being pulled from its foundations.

Haima hit coastal towns facing the Pacific Ocean with sustained winds of 225 kilometres (140 miles) an hour, and wind gusts of up to 315 kilometres.

It weakened overnight as it rammed into giant mountain ranges and by 9:00 am (0100 GMT) on Thursday was leaving the western edge of Luzon, heading towards southern China.

Jefferson Soriano, mayor of Tuguegarao, the capital of Cagayan where Haima made landfall, reported badly damaged schools and gymnasiums where people had sought shelter.

“They are calling for help because the roofs have been torn off. The problem is, our rescuers here are unable to go out and help,” Soriana told DZMM radio before dawn while the storm was still raging.

President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday night all possible preparations had been made for Haima, with tens of thousands of people evacuated, but he still struck an ominous tone.

“We only pray we be spared the destruction such as the previous times, which brought agony and suffering,” Duterte said in Beijing, where he was on a state visit.

“But we are ready. Everything has been deployed.”

About 10 million people across the northern parts of Luzon were at risk, the government’s disaster risk management agency said on Wednesday.

The Philippine islands are often the first major landmass to be hit by storms that generate over the Pacific Ocean. The Southeast Asian archipelago endures about 20 major storms each year, many of them deadly.

The most powerful and deadliest was Haiyan, which destroyed entire towns in heavily populated areas of the central Philippines.

The capital of Manila is about 350 kilometres south of where Haima struck land.

However the city, with about 12 million people, was not affected, hit only by moderate winds overnight and little rain.

Haima was the second typhoon to hit the northern Philippines in a week, after Sarika struck on Sunday claiming at least one life and leaving three people missing. – AFP </s> Image copyright EPA Image caption Over 10 million people were in the path of the storm

At least four people have been killed in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Haima hit the country.

The storm, which brought sustained winds of up to 225km/h (140mph), made landfall over Cagayan in the north on Wednesday.

Nearly 100,000 people were evacuated from threatened areas as the storm approached.

There was widespread damage overnight, with homes destroyed and power lines brought down.

Authorities said two of those killed were buried in a landslide, and two others buried in a shanty town in a mountainous region.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The Philippines were hit by a barrage of powerful winds

Experts had feared Haima could prove as destructive as the catastrophic super typhoon Haiyan, which claimed more than 7,350 lives in 2013.

The Philippines endures around 20 major storms every year, many of them deadly.

"I'm 60 years old, this is the strongest typhoon I have ever seen," village councillor Willie Cabalteja told news outlet the Associated Press.

President Rodrigo Duterte, in Beijing on a state visit, had said he prayed the Philippines would be spared but that they were "ready".

"We only pray we be spared the destruction such as previous times. Everything has been deployed."

Image copyright AP Image caption Powerful winds brought down power lines and tore of roofs

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Residents driven from their homes by Super Typhoon Haima take shelter at an evacuation centre

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Many houses have lost their roofs, causing metal sheets to fly around

Image copyright EPA Image caption It's just days since thousands fled the path of Typhoon Sarika

The storm was upgraded to a super typhoon just before it hit in Penablanca, a town in Cagayan province, around 23:00 local time (1500 GMT) on Wednesday.

On Thursday morning, there were reports of damage across a wide area.

"Rice and corn plants as far as the eye can see are flattened," Villamor Visaya, a teacher in the northern city of Ilagan told the AFP.

"Many houses were destroyed. I saw one school building crushed under a large tree... it was as if our house was being pulled from its foundations."

Haima, known as Lawin locally, had a weather band 800km (500 miles) wide, and authorities had warned the public to expect fierce winds and storm surges up to five metres (16 feet) or higher.

It is the second typhoon to hit the Philippines in a week, after Sarika struck on Sunday. At least one person was killed in that storm, and three people are still missing.

Haima is now moving out across the South China Sea towards Hong Kong and southern China. </s> At least four people were killed after Super Typhoon Haima smashed into the northern Philippines with ferocious wind and rains, flooding towns and forcing thousands to flee although it slightly weakened Thursday after slamming into a mountain range on its way to the South China Sea, officials said.

Haima's blinding winds and rain had rekindled fears and memories from the catastrophe wrought by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, but there were no immediate reports of any major damage amid spotty communications and power outages in several provinces.

Thousands of villagers were moved to emergency shelters as the typhoon approached.

Two construction workers died when a landslide buried their shanty in La Trinidad town in the mountain province of Benguet, officials said, while two villagers drowned in floodwaters in Ifugao province, near Benguet.

The typhoon slammed into shore in Cagayan province late Wendesday, and lashed the mountainous province of Apayao at dawn with slightly weaker sustained winds of 205 kilometers (127 miles) per hour and gusts of 285 kph (176 mph). It was blowing northwestward at 25 kph (15 mph) toward the tobacco-growing Ilocos Norte, the last province before it exits toward the South China Sea, according to forecasters.

In Narvacan town in northern Ilocos Sur province, ricefields resembled a brown lake under waist-high floodwaters. Despite the still-strong wind and rain, government workers have started clearing roads blocked with toppled trees and all kinds of debris.

"We can't go out because the wind is so intense, trees are being forced down," Councilor Elisa Arugay told DZMM radio late Wednesday from Camasi village in Cagayan province.

Officials were concerned because the powerful typhoon struck at night and was expected to hit towns and cities amid power outages

The government's weather agency lowered it storm warning to level five, down from the highest level of six.

Many of the provinces hit by the storm were still recovering from a powerful typhoon that killed two people and displaced tens of thousands of villagers last weekend.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, on an official visit to China, urged people in the typhoon's path to heed orders by disaster agencies, including abandoning coastal communities prone to storm surges. Duterte is on a state visit to China and is to fly home Friday.

"We only pray that we be spared destruction such as in the previous past which brought agony and suffering to our people, but we are ready," Duterte told a news conference.

About 20 typhoons and storms lash the Philippines each year, adding to the many burdens in a country that is also threatened by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and considered one of the world's most disaster-prone nations.

In November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan struck the central Philippines with ferocious power, leaving more than 7,300 people dead and displacing more than 5 million others after leveling entire villages. </s> ILAGAN, Philippines: One of the most powerful typhoons to ever hit the Philippines killed at least four people as it destroyed houses, tore roofs off schools and uprooted giant trees yesterday.

Super Typhoon Haima struck late on Wednesday night with winds similar to those of catastrophic Haiyan in 2013, which was then the strongest storm to strike the disaster-prone Southeast Asian archipelago and claimed more than 7,350 lives.

Haima then roared across mountain and farming communities of the northern regions of the main island of Luzon overnight, causing widespread destruction and killing at least four people who were buried by landslides, authorities said.

“The winds were so strong. They blew away our roof,” said Crecy Ramos, 46, a street stall owner in Ilagan, one of the main northern cities with a population of 130,000 people, as she started to repair her ramshackle home yesterday afternoon.

“Everyone in our community had their roofs blown away.” Haima hit coastal towns facing the Pacific Ocean with sustained winds of 225 kilometres an hour, and wind gusts of up to 315 kilometres. It weakened overnight as it rammed into giant mountain ranges and by yesterday morning had passed over the western edge of Luzon and into the South China Sea, heading towards southern China.

Jefferson Soriano, mayor of Tuguegarao, the capital of Cagayan where Haima made landfall, reported badly damaged schools and gymnasiums where people had sought shelter.

“They are calling for help because the roofs have been torn off. The problem is, our rescuers here are unable to go out and help,” Soriano told DZMM radio before dawn while the storm was still raging.

President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday night all possible preparations had been made for Haima, with tens of thousands of people evacuated, but he still struck an ominous tone.

“We only pray we be spared the destruction such as the previous times, which brought agony and suffering. But we are ready. Everything has been deployed,” Duterte said in Beijing, where he was on a state visit. About 10 million people across the northern parts of Luzon were at risk, the government’s disaster risk management council said on Wednesday.

Authorities said two of those killed, aged 16 and 17, were buried in a landslide while sleeping in a house in Ifugao, a mountainous area that is home to stunning stepped rice terraces that are listed by the United Nations as a World Heritage site. — AFP </s> Typhoon Haima churned toward southern China on Friday after smashing into the northern Philippines with ferocious wind and rain, triggering flooding, landslides and power outages and killing seven people.

China suspended rail services in several provinces on the mainland's south, where the typhoon is expected to make landfall in the afternoon. In the city of Shenzhen, authorities ordered schools, markets and factories to close, halted public transportation and evacuated some areas.

Hong Kong hunkered down as Haima lashed the financial hub with rain and wind gusts of up to 96 kilometers (60 miles) an hour. Schools and offices were shut and trading on the stock market suspended after the third most serious storm signal was hoisted, leaving an eerie calm in the streets of the normally bustling city. Nearly 700 flights to and from the city's international airport were canceled or delayed. By late morning, the storm was about 130 kilometers (80 miles) east of the city.

In the Philippines, Haima's blinding winds and rain had rekindled fears of the catastrophe wrought by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, which left 7,300 dead, but there were no immediate reports of any major damage. Large casualties appeared to have been averted after nearly 100,000 people fled to safer ground. Several villages were cut off by fallen trees, landslides and floods, impeding communications and aid.

Although storms are a part of life in the country's north, many villagers were still horrified by Haima's fury.

"In my age, I'm 60 years old, this is the strongest typhoon I have ever seen," village Councilor Willie Cabalteja told The Associated Press in Vigan city in Ilocos Sur province. "We haven't slept. Trees were forced down, houses lost their roofs and fences and metal sheets were flying around all night."

At least seven people were killed in the storm, officials said. But the evacuations from high-risk communities helped prevent a larger number of casualties.

The extent of damage in Cagayan, about 500 kilometers (310 miles) north of Manila, where the typhoon made landfall, was evident in overturned vans, toppled or leaning electric posts and debris blocking roads. Most stores, their window panes shattered and canopies shredded by the wind, were closed.

In northern Ilocos Sur province, rice fields resembled brown lakes under waist-high floodwaters, although cleanup operations had started.

The region is still recovering from a typhoon last weekend that killed two people and displaced tens of thousands of villagers.

President Rodrigo Duterte, on a state visit to China, urged people to heed orders by disaster agencies. Duterte is to fly home Friday. </s> VIGAN, Philippines — At least five people were killed after Super Typhoon Haima smashed into the northern Philippines with ferocious winds and rains overnight, flooding towns and forcing thousands to flee before weakening Thursday and blowing into the South China Sea, officials said.

Haima's blinding winds and rain had rekindled fears and memories from the catastrophe wrought by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, but there were no immediate reports of any major damage amid faulty communications and power outages in several villages cut off from government aid and rescue teams by fallen trees, landslide and flood.

Nearly 100,000 villagers were evacuated from high-risk communities as the typhoon approached, helping prevent a larger number of casualties.

Two construction workers died, however, when a landslide buried their shanty in La Trinidad town in the mountain province of Benguet, officials said, while two villagers drowned in floodwaters and another is missing in Ifugao province, near Benguet. A 70-year-old man died apparently of a heart attack while being brought to an emergency shelter from a flooded neighborhood in Isabela province, officials said.

Although storms are a part of life in the country's north, many villagers were still horrified by Haima's fury.

"In my age, I'm 60 years old, this is the strongest typhoon I have ever seen," village councilor Willie Cabalteja told The Associated Press in Vigan city in Ilocos Sur province. "We haven't slept. Trees were forced down, houses lost their roofs and fences and metal sheets were flying around all night."

The fast-moving Pacific typhoon slammed into shore in northeastern Cagayan province late Wednesday then barreled northwestward before blowing out into the South China Sea with sustained winds of 150 kilometers (93 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 185 kph (115 mph), according to forecasters.

Although weakening, the typhoon was expected to blow toward China, Filipino forecasters said.

After dawn, the extent of damage in Cagayan — about 500 kilometers (310 miles) north of Manila — and nearby regions became evident, with overturned vans, toppled or leaning electric posts and debris blocking roads. Most stores, their window panes shattered and canopies shredded by the wind, were close.

In northern Ilocos Sur province, ricefields resembled brown lakes under waist-high floodwaters, although cleanup operations had started.

"Search, rescue and retrieval operations are ongoing," Office of Civil Defense administrator Ricardo Jalad said in a statement.

The government's weather agency lowered most of its storm warnings after the typhoon blew out of the main northern Luzon region.

Many of the provinces hit by the storm were still recovering from a powerful typhoon that killed two people and displaced tens of thousands of villagers last weekend.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, on a state visit to China, urged people in the typhoon's path to heed orders by disaster agencies. Duterte is to fly home Friday.

About 20 typhoons and storms lash the Philippines each year, adding to the many burdens in a country that is also threatened by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and considered one of the world's most disaster-prone nations.

In November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan struck the central Philippines with ferocious power, leaving more than 7,300 people dead and displacing more than 5 million others after leveling entire villages.

Associated Press writer Jim Gomez in Manila contributed to this report. </s> A man takes cover as strong winds and rain topple trees while Typhoon Haima lashes Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, northern Philippines on Thursday Oct. 20, 2016. Super Typhoon Haima slammed into the northeastern Philippine coast late Wednesday with ferocious winds and rain that rekindled fears and memories from the catastrophe wrought by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Typhoon Haima Leaves at Least 7 Dead in Northern Philippines

VIGAN, Philippines—Super Typhoon Haima weakened and blew out to sea Thursday after smashing the northern Philippines with ferocious wind and rain overnight. Flooding, landslides and power outages were evident, but large casualties appeared to have been averted after nearly 100,000 people fled to safer ground.

Haima’s blinding winds and rain had rekindled fears of the catastrophe wrought by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, but there were no immediate reports of any major damage. Several villages are cut off by fallen trees, landslides and floods, impeding communications and aid.

Although storms are a part of life in the country’s north, many villagers were still horrified by Haima’s fury.

“In my age, I’m 60 years old, this is the strongest typhoon I have ever seen,” village councilor Willie Cabalteja told The Associated Press in Vigan city in Ilocos Sur province. “We haven’t slept. Trees were forced down, houses lost their roofs and fences and metal sheets were flying around all night.”

At least seven people were killed in the storm, officials said. But the evacuations from high-risk communities helped prevent a larger number of casualties.

Two construction workers died when a landslide buried their shanty in La Trinidad town in the mountain province of Benguet, officials said, while two villagers perished in another landslide and another was swept away in a river and remains missing in Ifugao province, near Benguet. A 70-year-old man died apparently of a heart attack in an emergency shelter while another man died after being pinned by a fallen tree in Isabela province. One other typhoon-related death was reported in northern Ilocos region but details were not immediately available.

Haima, with sustained winds of 225 kilometers (140 miles) per hour, hit northeastern Cagayan province late Wednesday then barreled northwestward before blowing out into the South China Sea with sustained winds of 150 kilometers (93 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 185 kph (115 mph), according to forecasters.

Although weakening, the typhoon was expected to blow toward China, Filipino forecasters said.

After dawn, the extent of damage in Cagayan — about 500 kilometers (310 miles) north of Manila — and nearby regions became evident, with overturned vans, toppled or leaning electric posts and debris blocking roads. Most stores, their window panes shattered and canopies shredded by the wind, were close.

In northern Ilocos Sur province, ricefields resembled brown lakes under waist-high floodwaters, although cleanup operations had started.

“Search, rescue and retrieval operations are ongoing,” Office of Civil Defense administrator Ricardo Jalad said in a statement.

The region is still recovering from a typhoon last weekend that killed two people and displaced tens of thousands of villagers.

President Rodrigo Duterte, on a state visit to China, urged people to heed orders by disaster agencies. Duterte is to fly home Friday.

About 20 typhoons and storms lash the Philippines each year, adding to the burdens in a country also at risk of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

In November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan struck the central Philippines with ferocious power, leaving more than 7,300 people dead and displacing more than 5 million others after leveling entire villages. </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Thousands of people are being urged to leave their homes

A typhoon packing gusts of wind up to 255km/h (158mph) has made landfall in the eastern Philippines.

Nock-Ten hit the coast near Catanduanes island at 18:30 local time (10:30GMT) but there are no reports yet of damage or casualties.

However, some 100,000 people have been moved from areas at risk in the Bicol region amid fears of widespread flooding and possible landslides.

Dozens of ports have closed, with warnings of two-metre (6.6ft) waves.

In October, Super Typhoon Haima hit the country, killing at least four people.

The landfall of Nock-Ten, also known as Nina and the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, was reported on the Twitter account of Pagasa-Dost, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

It issued a local thunderstorm warning and has forecast the typhoon will travel west at 15km/h.

Its sustained winds are currently about 185km/h.

It will pass across the southern area of the main island of Luzon, possibly weakening as it travels close to the capital, Manila, before heading into the South China Sea.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Typhoon Nok-Ten makes landfall

In Manila, officials ordered big roadside advertising boards to be taken down, fearing that strong winds could uproot them and injure people.

There have been fears Filipinos would ignore evacuation warnings to stay at home with family at Christmas, the biggest holiday in the largely Catholic nation.

The strength of the typhoon is equivalent to a Category Three hurricane in the Atlantic, according to the JTWC data, or a Category Two storm based on the information from the Philippines' weather office.

In 2013, super typhoon Haiyan claimed more than 7,350 lives.
The Philippine government places more than two dozen provinces on alert before Typhoon Haima makes landfall over Luzon. Haima, downgraded by the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System to a Category 4 storm, landfalls Cagayan province in the island's northeast. Weather forecasters expect the storm to impact up to 2.7 million people before veering northwest toward the Chinese coast on October 21.