Nearly 100,000 evacuated as powerful typhoon hits Philippines

In this handout photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, rescuers assist residents cross a bridge as they are evacuated to higher grounds in Tubay town, Agusan del Norte, southern Philippines on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021. Tens of thousands of people were being evacuated to safety in the southern and central Philippines as Typhoon Rai approached Thursday at a time when authorities were warning the public to avoid crowds after the first infections caused by the omicron strain of the coronavirus were reported in the country, officials said. (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)

A powerful typhoon has slammed into the south-eastern Philippines and is blowing across island provinces where nearly 100,000 people have been evacuated from high-risk areas that could be devastated by flash floods, landslides and tidal surges, officials said.

Forecasters said Typhoon Rai, which had sustained winds of 185kph (115mph) and gusts of up to 230kph (143mph), blew from the Pacific Ocean into the Siargao Islands.