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Super Typhoon Haima batters northern Philippines
Super Typhoon Haima hit the northern province of Cagayan late on Wednesday night with winds similar to those of the 2013 Haiyan Typhoon
Powerful winds brought down power lines and tore of roofs PHOTO: AP
The Philippines has been hit by Super Typhoon Haima, bringing sustained winds of up to 225km/h.
The storm was upgraded to a super typhoon just before it hit, making landfall in Penablanca, a town in Cagayan province, around 23:00 local time (4:00pm CET) on Wednesday, but there were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries.
It weakened overnight as it rammed into mountain ranges and by Thursday morning had passed over the western edge of Luzon and into the South China Sea, heading towards southern China.
Tens of thousands of people had been evacuated from threatened areas as the storm approached.
There was widespread damage overnight, with homes destroyed and power lines brought down.
Jefferson Soriano, mayor of Tuguegarao, the capital of Cagayan where Haima made landfall, reported badly damaged schools and gymnasiums where people had sought shelter.
"They are calling for help because the roofs have been torn off. The problem is, our rescuers here are unable to go out and help," Soriano said before dawn while the storm was still raging.
Experts had feared Haima could prove as destructive as the catastrophic super typhoon Haiyan, which claimed more than 7,350 lives in 2013.
