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.</s>Powerful typhoon passes over Manila after forcing more than 200,000 to spend Christmas Day in evacuation centres.

A powerful typhoon has killed at least four people in the Philippines before passing over the capital Manila.

Typhoon Nock-Ten, known locally as Nina, made landfall on the eastern island province of Catanduanes on Christmas Day, moved westward on Monday, packing winds of up to 240kph and gusts of 290kph, government forecasters said.

Tens of thousands of villagers were displaced as the typhoon cut power to five provinces at the height of the storm.

A farmer died in Quezon province and three other villagers, including a couple, were swept away by a flash flood in Albay province.

Officials in Albay, where more than 150,000 villagers were displaced by the typhoon, declared a "state of calamity" to allow faster disbursement of emergency funds.

More than 218,000 people had fled their homes while 48 domestic and international flights were cancelled, the civil defence office said, as the unusually late typhoon marred Christmas celebrations.

Dragging its way over the heavily populated provinces of Batangas and Cavite, Nock-Ten was expected to exit over the South China Sea later on Monday.

The bustling metropolis of Manila, home to about 13 million people, was eerily quiet the day after Christmas with the usual holiday revellers staying indoors as heavy rains and winds lashed the city.

The civil defence office had warned that the capital could suffer "heavy to intense rains, flashfloods and severe winds", with rescue boats ready to be deployed in case the rivers overflow.

An average of 20 storms and typhoons strike the Philippines each year, killing hundreds of people.

Nock-Ten was not the first typhoon to hit the Philippines on Christmas Day but it was the strongest . The other two typhoons to hit the islands on Christmas Day were category-2 Typhoon Jean in 1947 and category-2 Typhoon Lee in 1981.

Mammoth tsunami-like waves devastated the city of Tacloban and nearby areas when super typhoon Haiyan struck the central Philippines in November 2013, leaving 7,350 people dead or missing.</s>Manila, Dec 26 (IANS) Typhoon Nock-Ten, which made landfall in the Philippines on Sunday, lost intensity as it moved through the archipelago, weather authorities said on Monday.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services reported that the typhoon, known as Nina in the Philippines, weakened on its way to the provinces of Batangas and Cavite and on Monday morning had maximum sustained winds of 140 km per hour and gusts of up to 230 kph, Efe news reported.

According to data from the Civil Defence Office of Bicom region, where the typhoon made landfall, about 320,000 people spent Christmas night in sports venues and schools provided as shelter by the government.

Authorities have not reported any deaths or injuries caused by the Nock-Ten, nor have they evaluated any possible damage.

The typhoon, moving at a speed of 20 kph towards the northwest, is expected to remain in the country until Tuesday and leave the Philippine territorial waters on Wednesday.

Authorities have issued warnings in a dozen provinces, where the typhoon is causing heavy rains in areas, which could lead to floods and landslides in mountainous areas.

Thousands of people have been forced to cancel their Christmas celebrations, considered very important for this Christian-majority country, as sea and air transport services have been partially suspended.

Nock-Ten is the third typhoon in the country’s history that has struck during the holiday season, after Lee in 1981 and Jean in 1947, both Category 2 storms.</s>BATANGAS, Philippines (AP) — A powerful typhoon blew out of the northern Philippines on Monday after killing at least six people and spoiling Christmas in several provinces, where more than 380,000 people abandoned celebrations at home to reach emergency shelters and other safer grounds.

Typhoon Nock-Ten cut power to five entire provinces due to toppled electric posts and trees, dimming Christmas revelries in Asia's largest Catholic nation. More than 300 flights were delayed or re-scheduled and ferries were barred from sailing, stranding more than 12,000 holiday travelers.

Six people died from drowning or by being pinned by fallen trees, poles and a collapsed concrete wall in the provinces of Quezon and Albay, southeast of Manila, after the typhoon made landfall in Catanduanes province Sunday night, officials said.

Many military camps and outposts in Catanduanes and outlying provinces were damaged and some troops were injured, the military said.

Nock-Ten, locally known as Nina, then blew westward across mountainous and island provinces, damaging homes, uprooting trees and knocking down communications.

After weakening on landfall, the typhoon had sustained winds of up to 120 kilometers (74 miles) per hour and gusts of 180 kph (111 mph) when it blew into the South China Sea after battering the congested provinces of Batangas and Cavite, south of Manila, government forecasters said.

A cargo ship with about two dozen crewmen radioed for help as their vessel started to list off Batangas. It later ran aground and turned on its sided in Mabini town, the coast guard said.

The storm was one of the strongest to hit the Philippines since Typhoon Haiyan left more than 7,300 people dead or missing and displaced over 5 million in 2014. But officials in some provinces found it difficult to convince people to abandon their Christmas celebrations and head for the shelters before the storm hit. Some officials said they had to impose forced evacuations.

"Some residents just refused to leave their homes even when I warned them that you can face what amounts to a death penalty," Cedric Daep, a top disaster-response official in Albay, said by phone.

Shopping malls and stores were ordered to close early on Christmas Day to encourage people to remain indoors, "but at the height of the typhoon, many cars were still being driven around and people were out walking," Daep said. "We warned them enough, but we just can't control their mind."

Officials in Albay, where more than 150,000 villagers were displaced by the typhoon, declared a "state of calamity" on Sunday to allow faster disbursement of emergency funds.

About 20 typhoons and storms lash the Philippines each year. In the past 65 years, seven typhoons have struck the country on Christmas Day, according to the government's weather agency.

Tens of thousands of villagers, forced to spend Christmas in crowded and powerless emergency shelters, started to return home Monday to deal with the damage.

"They have left the evacuation centers and we're seeing the sun again," Ann Ongjoco, mayor of the town of Guinobatan in Albay, one of five provinces that lost electricity, said by phone.

But she said her town, where more than 17,600 villagers fled to shelters in schools, will not be able to resume the holiday celebrations because of the post-typhoon mess. "Many houses made of light materials were destroyed," she said.</s>Forecasters warned that Nock-ten, also known as Nina in the Philippines, could bring lashing winds and dump heavy rain throughout parts of the country, including the capital, Manila.

Nock-ten is now a super typhoon with sustained winds of 240 kilometers per hour (149 mph) and gusts at 295 kilometers per hour (185 mph). The storm is expected to maintain this intensity through landfall with relatively minor fluctuations.

It should make landfall over the eastern island province of Catanduanes on Christmas afternoon or evening, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center projected that the typhoon would gradually weaken "as the system begins to interact with land" but warned it could still retain typhoon intensity.

The Philippines has been battered by devastating typhoons in recent years, most notably Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 -- considered to be among the strongest storms to make landfall. Haiyan killed more than 6,000 people and forced nearly 4 million people from their homes. Typhoon Nock-ten is expected to approach with rain bands moving onshore, which could cause floods, landslides and storm surges. It is projected to pass through Southern Luzon and could go through Manila. It could bring flooding to the densely populated urban center during a busy holiday weekend. Meanwhile, authorities in the Philippines hoisted storm warnings over parts of the eastern Philippines, including Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Masbate (including Ticao and Burias Islands), Northern Samar and Eastern Samar.</s>11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 26, Philippines time: Nock-Ten is quickly losing its punch and has picked up forward speed, rapidly moving across southern Luzon toward the South China Sea, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

At 8 a.m., Nock-Ten was 77 miles south-southeast of Manila, moving west at 17 mph with 92-mph winds and 115-mph gusts at center. It was on course to pass 56 miles south of Manila, 55 miles south of Subic Bay Free Port and 87 miles south of Clark Free Economic Zone between noon and 3 p.m. Monday, moving rapidly and gradually diminishing as it heads back out over open water by Monday evening.

Public Storm Warning Signals remain in effect as follows:

-- Signal 2: Metro Manila, Rizal, southern Quezon, Marinduque, Cavite, Laguna and the rest of Mindoro provinces.

-- Signal 1: Rest of Quezon including Pilillo Islands, Bulacan, Pampanga, southern Zambales, Romblon, Camarines Norte, Bataan and Calamian group of islands.

All this should be over soon.

5:15 a.m. Monday, Dec. 26, Philippines time: Nock-Ten is no longer a super typhoon, having been downgraded by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center to Category 3-equivalent typhoon status, and remains on track to cross southern Luzon Monday evening through southern Quezon, Laguna, Batangas and Cavite.

At 2 a.m., Nock-Ten was 154 miles east-southeast of Manila, headed west at 12 mph, packing 115-mph sustained winds and 132-mph gusts. It remains due to pass 42 miles south of Manila, 44 miles south of the former Subic Bay Naval Station and 77 miles south of the old Clark Air Base between 6 and 8 p.m. Monday, still packing 81-mph sustained winds and 104-mph gusts at center.

All public storm warnings remain the same as previously reported.

11 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 25, Philippines time: With Nock-Ten starting to move over land, the Philippines' national weather authority PAGASA has made some changes to public storm warning signals:

 

 -- Signal 4: Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, southern Quezon.

 

 -- Signal 3: Catanduanes, Laguna, Batagnas, Marinduque, Albay and the rest of Quezon.

 

 -- Signal 2: Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Oriental Mindoro, Sorsogon and Burias Island.

 

 -- Signal 1: Northern Samar, Zambales (including Subic), Pampanga (including Clark) and other areas of Luzon.

10:45 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 25, Philippines time: Though Nock-Ten has begun making its way over land, for the moment it remains a high-end Category 4-equivalent super typhoon, still packing 184-mph gusts at center, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

 

 At 8 p.m., Nock-Ten was 215 miles east-southeast of Manila, tracking west at 12 mph, with 150-mph sustained winds and 184-mph gusts as it passed over Catanuanes island.

 

 It's forecast to gradually turn northwest, slowly begin diminishing and and clip the south end of Luzon island.

 

 JTWC has Nock-Ten passing 45 miles south of Metro Manila, 43 miles south of the former Subic Bay Naval Station and 77 miles south of the old Clark Air Base between 2 and 6 p.m. Monday. It should remain a Category 2-equivalent typhoon with 92-mph sustained winds and 115-mph gusts at center.

 

 All PAGASA-issued public storm warning signals remain raised as previously reported. Expect changes within the hour.

8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 25, Philippines time: Super Typhoon Nock-Ten, called Nina in the Philippines, has made landfall at 8 p.m. local time over Bato on Catanduanes island, according to the national weather authority PAGASA. All public storm warning signals remain the same.

5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 25, Philippines time: It won't be long now. Nock-Ten continues churning at a furious pace, 155-mph sustained winds and 190-mph gusts, remaining a high-end Category 4-equivalent super typhoon.

Joint Typhoon Warning Center projects Nock-Ten to make landfall over Catanuandes island by about 8 p.m. local time, maintaining its same intensity.

At 2 p.m., Nock-Ten was 278 miles east-southeast of Manila, tracking west at 12 mph and due to start heading west-northwest, JTWC reports.

It should gradually diminsh as it makes its way west through Visayas into southern Luzon, with sights still set on near-direct approaches to Manila and the former Clark Air Base and Subic Bay Naval Station.

But expect Nock-Ten to remain a strong Category 2-equivalent typhoon as it passes 30 miles south of Manila and Subic and 62 miles south of Clark between noon and 8 p.m. Monday, still packing 104-mph sustained winds and 127-mph gusts at center.

Public Storm Warning Signal 4 has been raised for Catanduanes and Camarines Sur by the Philippines' national weather authority PAGASA. Signal 2 is up for Metro Manila and Cavite, while Signal 1 remains raised for Zambales and Pampanga, including Subic and Clark. Expect those to be increased as Nock-Ten moves inland.

10:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 25, Philippines time: Geez. Instead of weakening, Super Typhoon Nock-Ten has intensified slightly. It’s now packing 190-mph gusts as it edges closer, ever closer, to landfall over Catanduanes, forecast for sometime early evening, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

At 8 a.m., Nock-Ten was 342 miles east-southeast of Manila, rumbling west at 8 mph packing sustained 155-mph winds and 190-mph gusts at center. These are the sorts of storms that normally populate the region during July and August, rarely in December. But rare are the conditions so ripe – almost non-existent vertical wind shear and very warm sea-surface temperatures in the east Philippine Sea.

And forward speed has decreased, which delays the forecast passage of Nock-Ten through southern Luzon.

Nock-Ten is now on pace to pass 31 miles south of Manila, 32 miles south of the former Subic Bay Naval Station and 64 miles south of the old Clark Air Base between 3 and 7 p.m., about an hour later than previous forecasts. It should remain a powerful Category 2-equivalent typhoon, packing 104-mph sustained winds and 127-mph gusts as it approaches Metro Manila.

All public storm warning signals remain the same, according to the Philippines’ national weather authority PAGASA. Those may change with PST’s next update this evening.

9:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 25, Philippines time: A blessed Christmas to one and all from PST and hoping one and all in the Philippines, especially, are safe and happy.

Minor changes to the forecast track, which now brings Nock-Ten, still a super typhoon, within 30 miles of Manila and the former Subic Bay Naval Station and 62 miles south of the old Clark Air Base between 2 and 6 p.m. Monday.

Public Storm Warning Signal 3 remains raised for Catanduanes and Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur, right in the line of fire, according to the national weather authority PAGASA. PSWS Signal 1 remains raised for Manila, Pampanga (including Clark) and Zambales (including Subic).

Midnight Dec. 24, Philippines time: Public Storm Warning Signal 3 has been raised for Cataduanes island in southern Luzon, which is expected to take the brunt of Super Typhoon Nock-Ten when it makes forecast landfall Sunday afternoon or evening.

11 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 24, Philippines time: Little change. Nock-Ten should remain a high-end Category 4-equivalent super typhoon for at least the next few hours before gradually weakening as it approaches Samar and Visayas in east-central Philippines.

Slightly better news for Metro Manila and the former Subic Bay Naval Station and Clark Air Base – Nock-Ten’s latest Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast track takes a bit further south than previously forecast, with slightly lower wind values.

At 8 p.m., Nock-Ten was 443 miles east of Manila, headed west at 8 mph, still packing 150-mph sustained winds and 184-mph gusts at center. If it remains on course, Nock-Ten is due to pass 40 miles south of Manila and Subic and 74 miles south of Clark between 2 and 6 p.m. Monday.

Nock-Ten, called Nina in the Philippines, is due to make landfall over Catanduanes by Sunday afternoon or evening, according to the national weather authority PAGASA. Public Storm Warning Signal 2 remains raised for parts of southern Luzon and northern Samar.

5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 24, Philippines time: Nock-Ten has been classified a super typhoon, the fourth of the season so dubbed by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Nock-Ten is making its way west for a late Christmas Day rendezvous with Southern Luzon and a wet, windy Monday for Metro Manila and surrounding areas.

At 2 p.m., Nock-Ten was 490 miles east of Manila, traveling west-northwest at 9 mph and packing 150-mph sustained winds and 184-mph gusts at center, and is expected to remain a high-end Category 4-equivalent super typhoon for at least the next day, gradually diminishing as it moves west.

PST still projects a near-direct hit on Manila and the former Subic Bay Naval Station and a pass just south of the old Clark Air Base between 2 and 6 p.m. Monday, remaining a Category 2-equivalent typhoon, 92-mph sustained winds and 115-mph gusts as it roars past.

Public Storm Warning Signal 2 is up for Catanduanes in southern Luzon and Northern Samar in the Visayas, where landfall is expected late Sunday as a high-end Category 3-equivalent typhoon, and Signal 1 up for other areas of Luzon, according to the country’s weather authority PAGASA. Expect upgrades to those before long.

Noon Saturday, Dec. 24, Philippines time: It gets worse. Nock-Ten is now projected to approach super-typhoon status by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. A high-end Category 4-equivalent beast forecast to peak at 150-mph sustained winds and 184-mph gusts sometime Saturday evening.

The silver lining to that is, Nock-Ten should weaken as it approaches the Philippines, but will still carry serious wallop, 104-mph sustained winds and 127-mph gusts as it crosses southern Luzon. Metro Manila and the former Subic Bay Naval Station remain in the crosshairs and cross just south of the old Clark Air Base between 2 and 6 p.m. Monday.

8 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 24, Philippines time: Wow. What at first appeared as if it would be just a middling storm is now brewing into a monstrous typhoon, due to peak at 138-mph sustained winds and 167-mph gusts early Christmas morning, a Category 4-equivalent storm, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center’s latest projections.

At 5 a.m., Nock-Ten was about 600 miles east of Manila and tracking west-northwest at 13 mph. If Nock-Ten remains on its current path, it’s due to make almost-direct hits on Manila and the former Subic Bay Naval Station and pass about 30 miles south of the old Clark Air Base, still packing a wicked punch, 115-mph sustained winds and 144-mph gusts at center.

9 a.m. Friday, Dec. 23, Philippines time: Nock-Ten could become a typhoon later Friday, and its peak intensity is now forecast to be 121-mph sustained winds and 150-mph gusts by early Christmas morning, just before making landfall over the central Philippines, according to the latest Joint Typhoon Warning Center projections.

Nock-Ten remains on course to pass almost directly over Metro Manila and the former Subic Bay Naval Station between noon and 5 p.m. Monday, and 25 miles south of the former Clark Air Base during that time frame, still packing a wicked punch, 92-mph sustained winds and 115-mph gusts at center as it crosses Luzon.

5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 22, Philippines time: Tropical Storm Nock-Ten continues to give Yap headaches, but remains on course for giving the central Philippines far worse come Christmas weekend, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

Nock-Ten’s track continues to deviate further south, placing Manila and the former Clark Air Base and Subic Bay Naval Station in the path of north-quadrant winds which appear to be worse than south quadrants.

If Nock-Ten remains on its current path, it’s forecast to pass 13 miles south of Manila at 11 a.m. Monday, 48 miles south of Clark at 2 p.m. and 17 miles south of Subic at 4 p.m., still packing a fierce punch, 92-mph sustained winds and 115-mph gusts at center.

Nock-Ten is having its effects elsewhere as well. A high-surf advisory and small-craft advisory remain in effect for the Marianas Islands, including Guam, until 6 p.m. Saturday, while a tropical storm warning remains in effect for Yap, according to the National Weather Service on Guam. Yap remains bombarded by 45 mph winds as Nock-Ten passes by, just 17 miles west-southwest of Yap at 4 p.m. Guam time.

11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 22, Philippines time: Now, it’s Manila in the crosshairs as Tropical Storm Nock-Ten’s forecast track has shifted further south, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center’s latest advisory.

If Nock-Ten remains on its current path, it’s forecast to pass directly over Manila at 1 p.m. Monday, 11 miles south of the former Subic Bay Naval Station at 6 p.m. and 40 miles south of the former Clark Air Base at 3 p.m., still packing a wicked punch: 110-mph sustained winds and 132-mph gusts at center.

8 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 22, Philippines time: Nock-Ten has been upgraded to a tropical storm by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center and its forecast peak winds have increased sharply, hinting that it might hit the Philippines as a Category 3-equivalent typhoon. This could be bad, folks.

Nock-Ten continues tracking northwest at 14 mph about 186 miles southeast of Yap. JTWC reports the environment is favorable for Nock-Ten to peak at 115-mph sustained winds and 143-mph gusts by early Christmas morning as it makes its approach to the central Philippines over the weekend.

If Nock-Ten remains on its projected path, it’s due to pass just 12 miles north of Manila at noon Monday, 26 miles north of the old Clark Air Base at 2 p.m. and make an almost-direct hit on the old Subic Bay Naval Station at 4 p.m., still packing 104-mph sustained winds and 127-mph gusts.

So, it’s no longer heavy rain being the biggest threat. Nock-Ten is intensifying in terms of wind velocity, becoming a double-barreled threat.

9:45 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21, Philippines time: Tropical Depression 30W’s forecast track has drifted slightly south from PST’s original forecast, putting it on a path taking it closer to Metro Manila and the former Subic Bay Naval Station and Clark Air Base and a bit later on Monday.

Most immediately, a high-surf and small-craft advisory remain in effect for the Marianas Islands, including Guam, until 6 p.m. Thursday. A tropical storm warning is in effect for Yap, according to the National Weather Service on Guam.

If 30W remains on its current path, it’s forecast to pass just 13 miles north of Clark at 5 p.m. Monday, 43 miles north of Manila at 1 p.m. and 48 miles north of Subic at 7 p.m., still packing 58-mph sustained winds and 75-mph gusts at center. 30W is forecast to peak at 86-mph sustained and 104-mph gusts as it roars ashore late Christmas Day near Visayas and Samar in the central Philippines.

4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21, Philippines time: Well, that didn’t take long. Joint Typhoon Warning Center has issued its first warning on Tropical Depression 30W. Model guidance remains in agreement on a track through northern Visayas and southern Luzon in the Philippines, which may get a very wet, windy Christmas.

And it appears as if Metro Manila and the former Clark Air Base and Subic Bay Naval Stations might end up in the crosshairs of what could become a Category 1 or 2-equivalent typhoon by Christmas or the day after.

One thing to note: The wind values in the northern quadrants for the moment appear stronger than the southern. If it remains on its forecast track, 30W is projected to pass 54 miles north of Manila at 10 a.m. Monday, 29 miles north of Clark at 11 a.m. and 61 miles north of Subic at 2 p.m. Monday, packing sustained 63 mph winds and 81 mph gusts at center.

1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21, Philippines time: Joint Typhoon Warning Center has issued a tropical cyclone formation alert on 92W Invest, which could become a tropical depression within the next day. Japan Meteorological agency issued a tropical depression alert at 12:15 p.m.

Model guidance shows a track through northern Visayas and southern Luzon. It may remain a strong tropical depression or possibly become a weak tropical storm. Wind is not expected to be an issue; however, the storm could bring plenty of rain to the central Philippines. Too early to say definitively.

This would be the 30th numbered storm of the northwest Pacific’s tropical cyclone season. If it becomes a named storm, it will be called Nock-ten, Laotian for bird. PAGASA, the Philippines’ national weather authority, would name it Nina.

4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20, Philippines time: Manila and much of Luzon Island could be in for a wet Christmas if a disturbance near Chu’uk that the Joint Typhoon Warning Center is tracking develops into a tropical cyclone.

Model guidance is in pretty tight agreement that 92W Invest should track northwest, passing through the northern Visayas and southern portions of Luzon toward Manila as a strong tropical depression and/or weak tropical storm.

Though winds aren’t projected to be strong, rain is expected to be the major issue, if 92W Invest does develop and head in that direction.

92W Invest is having some effect on the Marianas Islands. A high surf advisory and small craft advisory are in effect until 6 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service on Guam.

South of the Equator, traffic is picking up along Australia’s northwest coast, a tropical cyclone forecast to pass just northeast of Port Hedland, while another disturbance, 90S Invest is lurking just west-northwest of Darwin. PST will keep watch.</s>MANILA: A typhoon slammed into central Philippines late on Sunday, bringing strong winds and heavy rains and cutting off power, but there were no immediate reports of casualties, weather officials and radio reports said.

Typhoon Nock-ten was packing maximum sustained winds of 185 kph with gusts up to 255 kph when it made landfall over Catanduanes province, which was under the highest storm alert, on the Bicol peninsula on Sunday evening.

The typhoon made a second landfall over Camarines Sur province, then weakened slightly with winds of 175 kph but gusts at 290 kph, the weather bureau said.

Brownout in a lot of areas already,” Camarines Sur Governor Miguel Luis Villafuerte said in a post on his Instagram account.

Communication lines have been cut in some areas, radio reports said.

Around 218,000 people fled to evacuation centres after authorities warned of storm surges and flooding in coastal villages and low-lying areas.

Nock-ten could make another landfall early on Monday while moving west faster at 20 kph, from 15 kph previously, and crossing the provinces of Camarines Norte, Southern Quezon, Laguna, Batangas, and Cavite, weather forecasters said.

The typhoon’s eye will be near Metro Manila on Monday afternoon, they said.

Land, sea and air travel has been suspended in some areas, leaving stranded thousands of people heading home for Christmas in the mostly Christian country.

In 2013, more than 6,000 people were killed and 200,000 homes destroyed when Typhoon Haiyan, the strongest-ever storm to make landfall in the Philippines, hit the central islands of Leyte and Samar. About 20 major typhoons pass through the Philippines each year.

Typhoon Nock-ten lashes central Philippines, cuts power was posted in Lahore of TheNews International - https://www.thenews.com.pk on December 26, 2016 and was last updated on December 26, 2016. This news story is related to Print/174481-Typhoon-Nock-ten-lashes-central-Philippines-cuts-power/ - breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne. Permanent link to the news story "Typhoon Nock-ten lashes central Philippines, cuts power" is https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/174481-Typhoon-Nock-ten-lashes-central-Philippines-cuts-power.</s>Super typhoon Nock-ten (Nina) caused turbulence on Christmas Day in many regions of Philippines, leaving one dead and various regions with power outages. The typhoon weakened slightly on Monday as it headed towards the country's capital, officials said, according to reports.

The typhoon cut power in five provinces of the country, displacing thousands of villagers and travellers in the region.

A farmer died on Sunday after he was pinned by a fallen tree in Quezon province, southeast of Manila, after the typhoon hit the country on Sunday night. Nock-Ten reportedly caused significant damage as it rushed across island and mountainous provinces, destroying houses and uprooting trees. All communication lines were also knocked down, the Associate Press reported.

Although the typhoon is said to have weakened a bit, it still sustains winds up to 140 kilometre per hour, according to government forecasters. The super typhoon is now moving towards heavily populated regions, including Batangas and Cavite, south of Manila.

In the wake of the powerful typhoon, thousands of villagers were forced to spend Christmas Day in emergency shelters without electricity. Reports state that they have now left the shelters to deal with the damage at home.

"They have left the evacuation centers and we're seeing the sun again," Ann Ongjoco, the mayor of Guinobatan town in Albay province, told the Associated Press.</s>MANILA, Philippines (CNN) -- Super typhoon Nock-ten made landfall in the Philippines on Christmas Day after authorities worked to evacuate thousands of residents from low-lying areas of the Southeast Asian country's eastern provinces.

At 8 p.m. local time (7 a.m. ET), authorities said the typhoon, known locally as Nina, made landfall over Bato in the province of Catanduanes.

The storm hit the Bicol region with moderate to heavy rainfall, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) reported that Nock-ten has weakened and now has maximum sustained winds of 240 kph (149 mph) with gusts up to 296 kph (184 mph). The typhoon remains a category 4 equivalent, according to CNN's Severe Weather Team.

The provinces of Catanduanes and Albay have been declared under a "state of imminent danger/disaster."

The storm is expected to traverse the provinces of Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Southern Quezon, Laguna, Batangas and Cavite. The storm had been forecast to move west at 15 kph (9 mph).

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported 11,476 passengers, more than 1,000 cargo ships and over a dozen other vessels were stranded in various ports in the region.

The Philippines' tropical cyclone warning signal number 4 had been hoisted for Catanduanes and neighboring Camarines Sur. The warning signal, the second-highest level on the scale of alerts, indicates the storm could cause "heavy damage" to high-risk structures. Rice, corn and coconut plantations will likely suffer severe losses.

A storm surge height of up to 2.5 meters is possible over the coastal areas of Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Albay, Sorsogon and Catanduanes, PASAGA reported.

Forecasters warned that the storm could bring lashing winds and dump heavy rain in several areas across of the country, including the capital, Manila.

There are fears that Nock-ten could potentially bring flooding to the capital, one of the most densely populated urban centers of the country, during the busy holiday weekend.

PAGASA reports that the typhoon will cause moderate to heavy rainfall in a 500-kilometer (311-mile) radius.

The typhoon warning center projects that the typhoon will gradually weaken "as the system begins to interact with land," but warned it could still retain typhoon intensity.

The governor of the eastern seaboard province of Camarines Sur, Miguel Villafuerte, posted on Twitter that nearly 50,000 family evacuations had been scheduled by 7 p.m. Saturday local time (6 a.m. ET Saturday).

As an added incentive to push people out of their homes and into shelters ahead of Christmas in this Catholic-majority country, Villafuerte has promised to provide the traditional dish of lechon (roasted pig) for his constituents if they proceed to evacuation centers, CNN affiliate ABS-CBN reported.

The Philippines has been battered by devastating typhoons in recent years, most notably Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 -- considered to be among the strongest storms to make landfall. Haiyan killed more than 6,000 people and forced nearly 4 million people from their homes.</s>Officials warned 2.5m high waves and landslides as evacuation underway ahead of Nock-Ten's arrival.

Thousands of residents were fleeing coastal and other hazardous areas in eastern Philippines as the powerful typhoon Nock-Ten barrelled towards the archipelago.

Philippine and international weather services said the typhoon, named after a bird found in Laos, was set to hit Bicol on Sunday before reaching the rest of the main island of Luzon on Monday.

Officials warned 2.5-metre high waves and landslides posed the biggest threats as Nock-Ten closed in on the Bicol peninsula and nearby islands.

"We went around with megaphones and gave instructions to our people to have breakfast, pack and board the military trucks," Alberto Lindo, an official of Alcala, a farming village of 3,300 people near the active Mayon volcano, told AFP news agency.

"There are large ash deposits on the slopes. Heavy rain can dislodge them and bury our homes in mud."

The US Joint Typhoon Warning Center has forecast sustained winds of 231kmph and gusts of 278kmph when Nock-Ten makes landfall.

The typhoon will affect an area populated by nearly 42 million people, including the capital Manila, which was forecast to be hit on Monday.

Earlier, civil defence officials said nearly half a million people in the region were in harm's way and needed to be evacuated.

The government called for pre-emptive evacuations in the region on Friday, with nearly 4,000 residents moving into emergency centres and more than 8,000 others seeking shelter elsewhere, according to an official tally.

Evacuations were continuing early on Christmas Day with trucks provided by the military as well as local governments sent to coastal communities and other areas that have been hit by landslides or flash floods in previous storms.

Nock-Ten, which will arrive outside the normal typhoon season, disrupted the celebration of one of the most important holidays in the mainly Catholic country's religious calendar, with all ferry services and some commercial flights suspended.

Some of the thousands of commuters stranded at dozens of Bicol ports that were closed for the typhoon spent the night inside evacuation centres on Friday.

Elsewhere, the coastguard on Sunday ordered the beaches south of Manila to be cleared of holidaymakers by Monday.

"All forms of recreational activity (on the coasts) will be banned," coastguard spokesman Armando Balilo told local broadcaster ABS-CBN television.

He said residents of seaside slums in Manila have also been warned to leave their homes.

Storm surges devastated the city of Tacloban and nearby areas when super typhoon Haiyan struck the central Philippines in November 2013, leaving 7,350 people dead or missing.

An average of 20 storms and typhoons strike the Philippines each year, routinely killing hundreds of people.
Typhoon Nock-ten (Nina) strikes the Philippines.