MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Philippine officials have begun evacuating thousands of people in the path of the most powerful typhoon this year, closing schools and readying bulldozers for landslides.

Typhoon Mangkhut, considered as the strongest and most massive so far this season, could hit northeastern Cagayan province on Saturday. It was tracked on Thursday about 725 kilometers (450 miles) away in the Pacific with sustained winds of 205 kilometers (127 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 255 kph (158 mph).

Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba tells The Associated Press by telephone that evacuations of residents from risky coastal villages and island municipalities north of the province have started and classes in all levels have been canceled.

Filipino forecaster Meno Mendoza illustrates the path of Typhoon Mangkhut, locally named "Typhoon Ompong" as it approaches the Philippines with sustained winds of 205 kilometers per hour (127 miles per hour) and gusts of up to 255 kph (158 mph), at the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration in metropolitan Manila, Philippines on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Philippine officials say they plan to evacuate thousands of villagers, shut down schools and offices and scramble to harvest rice and corn as the most powerful typhoon so far this year menacingly roars toward the country's north. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Government forces have been placed on full alert. </s> The Philippines is bracing for a major storm that's expected to make landfall at the weekend.

Super Typhoon Mangkhut - known locally as Ompong - is currently moving across the Pacific Ocean towards the Philippines, with winds of more than 205km/h and gusts of up to 255km/h.

The storm's expected to hit an area at the north of the main island Luzon on Saturday morning, with heavy rain expected from Friday.

Local authorities have put emergency measures in place ahead of the typhoon's arrival amid fears of flooding and landslides.

Millions of people live in the potential path of the storm, and evacuations have already begun in a number of coastal communities.

It's believed the storm could move towards coastal China once it passes over the Philippines.

Aid agency Oxfam said it is preparing to respond to what could be the strongest island to hit the Philippines this year.

The charity's Philippines Country Director, Maria Rosario Felizco, observed: "Super Typhoon Mangkhut is bringing very destructive winds and torrential rainfall, and it could cause storm surges and flash flooding in northern Philippines.

"We are also concerned about the potential for landslides, due to the mountainous terrain in northern Luzon, and flooding from the expected heavy torrential rain."

She added that the consequences from the storm "could be devastating", noting that aid agencies are on high alert ahead of the typhoon's arrival.

The Philippines is hit by around 20 storms every year, typically including a number of destructive typhoons. </s> MANILA, Philippines (AP) - The most powerful typhoon of the season is closing in on the northern Philippines, where officials ordered precautionary evacuations and closures of schools and offices and urged farmers to quickly harvest their crops to reduce damage.

Forecasters said Typhoon Mangkhut, considered as the strongest this year, could hit northern Cagayan province on Saturday. It was located about 800 kilometers (500 miles) away in the Pacific with sustained winds of 265 kilometers (165 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 325 kph (201 mph). It could maintain the strength of a super typhoon when it hits land in the northeastern corner of Luzon Island.

On Guam, residents woke up Tuesday to flooded streets, downed trees and widespread power outages after Mangkhut passed through overnight.

Filipino forecaster Meno Mendoza illustrates the path of Typhoon Mangkhut, locally named "Typhoon Ompong" as it approaches the Philippines with sustained winds of 205 kilometers per hour (127 miles per hour) and gusts of up to 255 kph (158 mph), at the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration in metropolitan Manila, Philippines on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Philippine officials say they plan to evacuate thousands of villagers, shut down schools and offices and scramble to harvest rice and corn as the most powerful typhoon so far this year menacingly roars toward the country's north. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

The Pacific Daily News reported government agencies were conducting damage assessments and beginning to clear roads. About 80 percent of the U.S. territory was without power but it was restored by Thursday morning.

With a massive rain band 900 kilometers (560 miles) wide, combined with seasonal monsoon rains, the storm could bring heavy to intense rains that could set off landslides and flash floods, Philippine state forecaster Meno Mendoza said.

Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba said by telephone that northern coastal and island villages in the typhoon's projected path will begin evacuating residents on Thursday ahead of the expected onslaught. He said classes will be suspended and offices, except those involved in rescue and relief work, advised to close on Friday.

In 2016, a super typhoon lashed the southern section of Cagayan, destroying tens of thousands of houses. Mangkhut is blowing from the Pacific and forecast to directly slam the province's northeastern coastal and island municipalities, Mamba said.

"I'm stressing that this one is very different, this is more complicated because of possible storm surges," Mamba said, referring to giant waves whipped inland by a typhoon.

The typhoon is arriving at the start of the rice and corn harvest season in Cagayan, a major agricultural producer, and farmers were scrambling to save what they could of their crops, Mamba said. The Philippines has been trying to cope with rice shortages.

Office of Civil Defense chief Ricardo Jalad said other northern provinces will also start evacuating residents from low-lying areas on Thursday.

"The worst cases are those areas which will be directly hit by strong winds that can topple houses, storm surges and heavy rains that can cause flooding, and there may be landslides in higher areas," Jalad told reporters.

A missile test aboard a navy ship to be attended by President Rodrigo Duterte off northern Bataan province was canceled due to the approaching typhoon.

After leaving the Philippines, the fast-moving storm is expected to blow toward Hong Kong and southern China on Sunday if it maintains its course, forecasters said.

Mangkhut is the 15th storm this year to batter the Philippines, which is hit by about 20 a year and is considered one of the world's most disaster-prone countries. Typhoon Haiyan left more than 7,300 people dead or missing and displaced over 5 million in the central Philippines in 2013.

This story has been corrected to show that Typhoon Haiyan struck in 2013, not 2014. </s> Five million could be hit by super storm as gusts of up to 255km/h are expected

This article is more than 11 months old

This article is more than 11 months old

The Philippines is braced for one of the strongest typhoons in its history, as authorities evacuate families in their thousands, close schools and put rescuers and troops on full alert in the country’s north.

Five million people are expected to be affected by Typhoon Mangkhut, which experts have categorised as a super typhoon with powerful winds and gusts equivalent to a category-5 Atlantic hurricane.

By Friday morning, almost 10,000 people across three regions had been evacuated and 22 domestic flights cancelled. By the evening, strong winds had already downed trees in Tuguegarao, a city in the main northern island of Luzon, where almost all businesses had been shuttered and police were patrolling otherwise quiet streets.

Weather experts said the storm almost matched the strength of Typhoon Haiyan, which left more than 7,300 people dead or missing and displaced more than five million in the central Philippines in 2013.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Huge waves crash into the coast in Taitung county, eastern Taiwan on Friday. Photograph: -/AFP/Getty Images

Mangkhut was on course to hit north-eastern Cagayan province early on Saturday local time. It was tracked on Friday about 250 miles (450km) away in the Pacific with sustained winds of 205km/h and gusts of up to 255km/h, Philippine forecasters said. Forecasts indicated that waves could climb to six metres on the coasts of Cagayan.

It was predicted to travel across the South China Sea and pass within 62 miles of Hong Kong on Sunday morning.

With a massive rain-cloud band 560 miles wide, combined with seasonal monsoon rains, the typhoon could bring intense rains that could trigger landslides and flash floods, the forecasters said. Storm warnings were raised in 25 provinces across Luzon, restricting sea and air travel.

Ricardo Jalad, the country’s civil defence chief, told an emergency meeting led by President Rodrigo Duterte that about 4.2 million people in Cagayan, nearby Isabela province and outlying regions were vulnerable to the most destructive effects near the typhoon’s 78 mile eye. Nearly 48,000 houses in those high-risk areas are made of light materials and vulnerable to Mangkhut’s winds.

CNN (@CNN) Video shows Super Typhoon Mangkhut tearing through Guam, in the western Pacific.



It has caused widespread flooding and power loss, with parts of the US territory still without electricity on Thursday morning. https://t.co/EhtUajxigs pic.twitter.com/JKMPvHpWBK

Across the north, residents covered glass windows with wooden boards, strengthened houses with rope and braces and moved fishing boats to safety.

Manuel Mamba, the governor of Cagayan, said that evacuations of residents from risky coastal villages and island municipalities north of the rice-and corn-producing province of 1.2 million people have started and school classes at all levels have been cancelled.

Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) #WeatherAlert: Isabela, Cagayan, and the northern part of Aurora are now under Signal No. 3 due to Typhoon #OmpongPH as of 8 am on Friday, September 14.



READ: https://t.co/8QBEv5bg7f pic.twitter.com/osuRF2ZhZw

“The weather here is still good but we’re moving them now because it’s very important that when it comes, people will be away from peril,” Mamba said.

A change in the typhoon’s track prompted authorities to rapidly reassess where to redeploy emergency teams and supplies, Mamba said.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Villagers secure a boat in Aparri, Cagayan province. Photograph: Francis R. Malasig/EPA

Duterte asked cabinet officials from the north to help oversee disaster-response work if needed, but told reporters it was too early to consider seeking foreign aid.

“It would depend on the severity of the crisis,” Duterte said. “If it flattens everything, maybe we need to have some help.”

The typhoon is approaching at the start of the rice and corn harvesting season in Cagayan, a major agricultural producer, and farmers were scrambling to save what they could of their crops, Mamba said. The threat to agriculture comes as the Philippines tries to cope with rice shortages.

Officials said other northern provinces started evacuating residents from high-risk areas, including in northern mountain provinces prone to landslides.

Mike Hudema (@MikeHudema) More than 43 million people could be affected by Super Typhoon #Mangkhut, predicted to be most powerful storm since records began and Hong Kong could take direct hit: https://t.co/b95L8TmTmo



The warning signs are everywhere. We must act on #climate.#ActOnClimate #energy pic.twitter.com/HzZyHYi7nm

Duterte cancelled his appearance at a missile test firing aboard a navy ship off northern Bataan province due to the approaching typhoon.

On Guam, where Mangkhut passed, residents dealt with flooded streets, downed trees and widespread power outages. Government agencies were conducting damage assessments and clearing roads, according to the Pacific Daily News. About 80% of the US territory was without power but it was restored by Thursday morning.

Mangkhut, a Thai word for the mangosteen fruit, is the 15th storm this year to batter the Philippines, which is hit by about 20 a year and is considered one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.

Carmela Fonbuena contributed reporting </s> These maps show the latest projected path of Super Typhoon Mangkhut as it bears down on the Philippines. Mangkhut is currently 465 nautical miles (535 miles) east of Manila on the island of Lurzon in the Philippines. The super typhoon is tracking west-northwestward as it approaches Philippines from the east. Typhoon Mangkhut is forecast to make landfall early on Saturday on the northern tip of Luzon island.

It will be the strongest of 15 storms to have hit the Philippines this year. Mangkhut is on track to be as strong as Super Typhoon Haiyan which had a devastating impact when it hit the Philippines in 2013, and killed thousands, but it hit a more populated part of the country. The Red Cross said it has put teams on the highest level of alert across the island and warned high winds and torrential winds could cause widespread damage to islands and coastal areas of Luzon. When it reaches the Philippines early on Saturday morning, tropical storm-force winds are expected to extend all the way to the south to the Philippines capital, Manila and as far north as Taiwan.

More than four million people are in the path of the most destructive typhoon-force winds in northern Luzon, but thousands have started to evacuate. Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippines Red Cross said: “We’re worried for the 10 million people in the Philippines living in the path of this destructive storm, including those who have been displaced several times due to the monsoon rains last July and August. “We are preparing our emergency assets and relief items. Our staff and volunteers are on high alert for possible deployment.” The storm which has winds of up to 160 mph (255kph) has a diameter of about 900km.

Mangkhut is drawing comparisons with Typhoon Haiyan which devastated central areas of the archipelago nation in 2013, killing 6,300 people. Vicente Malano, administrator of Philippine weather agency PAGASA said: “We are not just looking at floods. It could generate a storm surge upon landfall.” PAGASA said the storm surge could be as high as six metres - the equivalent to a two-storey building. The main concerns from this super typhoon is flooding, landslides and wind damage, as authorities prepared equipment and personnel for rescue and relief operations. </s> Manila, Philippines: The most powerful typhoon of the season is closing in on the northern Philippines, where officials ordered precautionary evacuations and closures of schools and offices and urged farmers to quickly harvest their crops to reduce damage.

Forecasters said Typhoon Mangkhut, considered as the strongest this year, could hit northern Cagayan province on Saturday. It was located about 800 kilometres away in the Pacific with sustained winds of 265 kilometres per hour and gusts of up to 325 k/hr. It could maintain the strength of a super typhoon when it hits land in the northeastern corner of Luzon Island.

On Guam, residents woke up Tuesday to flooded streets, downed trees and widespread power outages after Mangkhut passed through overnight.

The Pacific Daily News reported government agencies were conducting damage assessments and beginning to clear roads. About 80 per cent of the US territory was without power but it was restored by Thursday morning.

The storm approaches the Phillipines, as another major weather event, Hurricane Florence will make landfall on the southeast coast of the US later this week. </s> HONG KONG (AP) — Typhoon Mangkhut wreaked havoc on the northern Philippines and southern China, leaving dozens of people dead and forcing millions to evacuate.

The massive storm made landfall on Saturday on the northeastern tip of Luzon island in the Philippines with sustained winds of 205 kilometers (127 miles) per hour and gusts of 255 kph (158 mph).

It then moved on to Hong Kong and elsewhere in southern China. Chinese state media cited the Guangdong provincial meteorological station as saying that by Sunday evening, more than 2.4 million people had been relocated and nearly 50,000 fishing boats called back to port.

The gambling enclave of Macau closed casinos for the first time and the Hong Kong Observatory warned people to stay away from the Victoria Harbour landmark, where storm surges battered the sandbag-reinforced waterfront. </s> As the Philippines recovers from Category 5 Super Typhoon Mangkhut, police estimated the first unofficial death toll at about 66, reported the New York Times. The number is expected to rise as emergency workers continue to recover bodies.

Known locally as Ompong, the typhoon made landfall on September 14 in the Philippines.

Over 40 bodies were found following a landslide in a remote town for gold miners in Itogon in the northern island of Luzon, with dozens more missing and presumed dead, said the Guardian. Families, including children, had taken shelter in a bunkhouse converted to a chapel when part of the mountain collapsed into the building.

Nearly 300 rescuers worked with bare hands and shovels to find the bodies. Along with police and military, geologists and engineers provided support. Muddy ground and damaged roads prevented the use of heavy machinery or other technology to aid in the process.

Relatives gathered around the site, hoping to find any survivors.

“I am 99% sure they are dead,” said Victorio Palangdan, mayor of Itogon.

The workers were allegedly residing illegally in the area after the mine was closed in the 1990s. While mayor Palandgan claims the workers had permission to work in the area, the mine company, Benguet Corp., denied any knowledge of the workers, the New York Times reported.

Mudslides throughout the country caused more damage along with wind and rain, affecting about 5.7 million people, estimates the Guardian. Damage assessments are ongoing, but it may be weeks until a full analysis is complete.

Power outages in Manila, the capital, resulted in loss of communication for millions.

According to the Telegraph, the majority of people affected by the typhoon in the Philippines reside in poverty. About 1.4 million are farmers, with an additional 100,000 fishermen. With crops flooded only weeks before harvest season, these communities may continue to suffer long after the typhoon has passed with rebuilding efforts midst food and water shortages.

Super Typhoon Haiyan, also known as Yolanda, had hit the Philippines in 2013 and displaced nearly 4 million people and resulted in 6,000 deaths, CNN reported. While this typhoon did not cause nearly as much damage, it’s power was notable.

With sustaining winds as high as 170 miles per hour, typhoon Mangkhut was 75 miles higher than Hurricane Florence, reported the Wall Street Journal. Totaling a width of about 550 miles, it was the most powerful storm of 2018.

Mangkhut ripped across Southeast Asia, slamming the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

The weakened storm continued into China, where it killed four people.

Macau reported 40 injured and no fatalities. Security secretary Wong Sio-Chak attributed the lack of damage to better preparation than previous years, according to Macau Business. </s> HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong and southern China hunkered down under red alert Sunday as strong winds and heavy rain from Typhoon Mangkhut lashed the densely populated coast, a day after the biggest storm of the year left at least 28 dead from landslides and drownings in the northern Philippines.

Nearly half a million people had been evacuated from seven cities in Guangdong province, the gambling enclave of Macau closed down casinos for the first time and the Hong Kong Observatory warned people to stay away from the Victoria Harbour landmark, where storm surges battered the waterfront reinforced with sandbags. Mangkhut is due to make landfall in Guangdong later Sunday.

The national meteorological center said southern China "will face a severe test caused by wind and rain" and urged officials to prepare for possible disasters.

The Librador family inside their house that is heavily damaged by typhoon Mangkhut on September 15, 2018 in Alcala, Philippines.

On Sunday morning, the typhoon packed sustained winds of 155 kilometers (96 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 190 kph (118 mph). The Hong Kong Observatory said although Mangkhut had weakened slightly, its extensive, intense rainbands were bringing heavy downfall and frequent squalls.

Hundreds of flights were canceled. All high-speed and some normal rail services in Guangdong and Hainan provinces were also halted Sunday, the China Railway Guangzhou Group Co. said.

In Fujian province and elsewhere, tens of thousands of fishing boats returned to port and construction work came to a stop.

Philippine National Police Director General Oscar Albayalde told The Associated Press that 20 people had died in the Cordillera mountain region, four in nearby Nueva Vizcaya province and another outside of the two regions. Three more deaths have been reported in northeastern Cagayan province, where the typhoon made landfall before dawn Saturday.

An overturned tricycle is seen next to a destroyed house after Super Typhoon Mangkhut hit the town of Alcala, Cagayan province in the Philippines on September 15, 2018.

Among the fatalities were an infant and a 2-year-old child who died with their parents after the couple refused to immediately evacuate from their high-risk community in a Nueva Vizcaya mountain town, said Francis Tolentino, an adviser to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

"They can't decide for themselves where to go," he said of the children, expressing frustration that the tragedy was not prevented.

Tolentino, who was assigned by Duterte to help coordinate disaster response, said at least two other people were missing.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan said at least three people died and six others were missing in his mountain city of Baguio after strong winds and rain destroyed several houses and set off landslides, which also blocked roads to the popular vacation destination. It was not immediately clear whether the dead and missing had been included in the overall death toll.

About 87,000 people had evacuated from high-risk areas of the Philippines. Tolentino and other officials advised them not to return home until the lingering danger had passed.

An aerial view shows the fishing village of Tai O in Hong Kong on September 15, 2018, a day before the expected arrival of Super Typhoon Mangkhut.

In Cagayan's capital, Tuguegarao, where the typhoon hit land, Associated Press journalists saw a severely damaged public market, its roof ripped apart and wooden stalls and tarpaulin canopies in disarray. Outside a popular shopping mall, debris was scattered everywhere and government workers cleared roads of fallen trees.

The Tuguegarao airport terminal also was damaged, its roof and glass windows shattered by strong winds.

The typhoon struck at the start of the rice and corn harvesting season in the northern breadbasket, prompting farmers to scramble to save what they could of their crops, Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba said.

In Hong Kong, Security Minister John Lee Ka-chiu urged residents to prepare for the worst.

"Because Mangkhut will bring winds and rains of extraordinary speeds, scope and severity, our preparation and response efforts will be greater than in the past," Lee said. "Each department must have a sense of crisis, make a comprehensive assessment and plan, and prepare for the worst."

Cathay Pacific said all of its flights would be canceled between 2:30 a.m. Sunday and 4 a.m. Monday. The city of Shenzhen also canceled all flights between Sunday and early Monday morning. Hainan Airlines canceled 234 flights in the cities of Haikou, Sanya, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai scheduled this weekend.

For the first time in the history of Macau, next door to Hong Kong, casinos were ordered to close from 11 p.m. Saturday, the South China Morning Post reported. The gambling city suffered catastrophic flooding during Typhoon Hato last August that left 10 dead and led to accusations of corruption and incompetence at its meteorological office.

Associated Press writers Aaron Favila and Joeal Calupitan in Tuguegarao, Philippines, Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, and Gillian Wong in Beijing contributed to this report.

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Super Typhoon Mangkhut (Ompong) approaches the Philippines as one of the strongest in its history, with sustained winds of 205 kilometres per hour (127 mph) and gusts of up to 285 km/h (177 mph).