The Philippines on Tuesday braced for the first typhoon of the year as forecasters warned of floods and possible landslides across wide swathes of the country.
In Manila, stormy weather ahead of Typhoon Conson forced schools to close, international flights to divert, and ships to be barred from leaving port.
Residents wade through a waist-deep flooded street in Bulacan province, north of Manila (file picture)
Conson gathered strength as it moved closer to the main island of Luzon, and is likely to hit land Tuesday night or early Wednesday, chief state weather forecaster Prisco Nilo said.
"Areas that are in the direct path will experience heavy rains, even areas to the south of the typhoon will have strong rain," Nilo told reporters.
"It is possible that there will also be landslides or flooding."
Packing maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometres per hour near the centre and gusting at up to 150 kilometres per hour, Conson was on Tuesday bearing down on Catanduanes island on the country's eastern seaboard.
It was expected to cut west after that, dumping up to 20 millimetres of rain an hour on Luzon before exiting into the South China Sea on Wednesday, Nilo said.
Storm alerts were hoisted across Metropolitan Manila and nearly 30 provinces on Luzon, home to about half of the country's 92 million people, the state weather bureau said.
Afternoon classes in elementary schools in Manila were suspended, while aviation authorities diverted several incoming flights to Clark airport about 80 kilometres north of the capital.
"There was poor visibility because of the heavy rains. They could not see the runway," said Connie Bungag, a spokeswoman for the airport authority.
Flights of several small domestic carriers were also cancelled, while the coast guard barred ships from setting sail from Manila pier.
Coast guard spokesman Lieutenant Commander Armand Balilo said ships already en route to Manila should take shelter at the nearest port of call.
The arrival of Condon marks the start of this year's typhoon season for the Philippines.
About 20 typhoons slam into the Philippines every year, causing widespread destruction and claiming many lives.
Millions of poor Filipinos live in slums alongside rivers and waterways, making them particularly vulnerable to floods.
More than 1,000 people died in September and October last year when two fierce storms ripped through Manila and other parts of Luzon.
- AFP/ir