Typhoon strikes Philippines; 750,000 evacuated to safety

Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated from the central Philippines on Monday as a typhoon with winds of up to 150 km/h made landfall, dumping heavy rain that could cause flooding, landslides and storm surges, authorities warned.

About 40 domestic flights were grounded, while 73 ferries and hundreds of fishing boats were ordered to remain in port as typhoon Melor hit the village of Batag on the northern tip of Samar island.

Known locally as typhoon Nona, it was expected to roll across nearby islands before making landfall later on Monday close to Sorsogon, about 385 kilometers southeast of the capital, Manila, on the heavily populated main island of Luzon.