A tropical storm barrelling toward the northern Philippines on Friday intensified into a typhoon with destructive winds and flooding rains threatening farmlands and populated areas, including the capital Manila.
Typhoon Nari forced US Secretary of State John Kerry to call off Friday's trip to the Philippines. Kerry, who was visiting Southeast Asia for regional summits, said in Brunei on Thursday he was advised by his pilots to postpone the trip.
Authorities placed 14 provinces and metropolitan Manila under storm alert, closed schools and put emergency services on notice.
The typhoon is forecast to slam ashore in northeastern Aurora province later Friday or early Saturday with winds of 120 kilometres per hour and gusts of up to 150 kph. Rainfall will exceed 100 to 200 millimetres with up to 300 mm in mountainous areas - about a month's average in 24 hours.
The national disaster agency said it was ready to evacuate thousands of residents from coastal towns.