Thousands of residents were fleeing coastal and other hazardous areas in the eastern Philippines today as a powerful typhoon barrelled towards the disaster-prone archipelago. 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. <br/><br/>The US Joint Typhoon Warning Center has forecast sustained winds of 231 kilometres an hour and gusts of 278 kilometres an hour when the typhoon makes landfall. It will affect an area populated by nearly 42 million people, including the capital Manila, which was<br/>forecast to be hit tomorrow.

In Philippines, thousands of people are being urged to leave their homes as a super typhoon heads towards the country's east coast. The US Joint Typhoon Warning Center said, Super Typhoon Nock-Ten is due to make landfall in the Bicol region today, with winds of up to 240 kms per hour. Dozens of ports have been closed, as officials warn of waves of around two metres. Super Typhoon Haima had hit the country in October, killing at least four people.<br/><br/>Heavy rain, damaging winds and battering waves are threatening heavily-populated areas, where the Philippine weather bureau has raised storm signals and warned that sea travel is risky along the eastern seaboard.