The Philippines evacuated eastern coastal areas, suspended ferry services and closed schools in parts of its main Luzon island as the strongest storm to hit the country this year intensified as it headed straight towards the capital, Manila.
Parts of the Philippines are still recovering from Typhoon Haiyan, one of the biggest cyclones known to have made landfall anywhere, which killed more than 6,100 people last year, many in tsunami-like sea surges, and left millions homeless.
Typhoon Rammasun, with gusts of up to 160 kph (99 mph) and sustained winds of 130 kph (81 mph) near its centre, was expected to make landfall over the eastern provinces of Albay and Sorsogon later on Tuesday.
Tropical Storm Risk described Rammasun, expected to bring moderate to intense rainfall of up to 20 mm per hour within its 500-km (300-mile) radius, as a category-one typhoon, on a scale of one to five of which five is the most severe.
It is the strongest storm to threaten the country since Haiyan, a category-five “super typhoon”, wiped out nearly everything in its path when it crossed the central Philippines in November.
