The Philippines evacuated tens of thousands of people from their homes and canceled dozens of flights on Saturday as a super typhoon threatened to unleash heavy rains and powerful winds that could trigger floods and storm surges.
Packing winds of 185 kph, the storm Man-Yi was heading for the eastern part of the main island of Luzon, spurring the weather agency to raise its second-highest alert for the provinces of Catanduanes and Camarines Sur.
"Pepito is approaching its peak intensity," it added, using the domestic name for the super typhoon, which it said was likely to make landfall near Catanduanes on Saturday night or early Sunday.
Close to 180,000 people in the central region of Bicol have been evacuated, data from the disaster agency showed.
The sixth tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines in a month, Man-Yi has also forced the cancellation of dozens of flights in the eastern Visayas region facing the Pacific Ocean.