A powerful typhoon is heading for a Christmas Day collision with the central Philippines.
Nock-Ten has intensified into a super typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 175km/h and gusts of up to 215km/h and it heads for landfall over Cataduanes Island in the central Bicol region. It's then forecast to drag across the southern portion of the main Luzon island as it passes close to Manila, and begins to weaken.
Heavy rainfall, damaging winds and battering waves are threatening heavily populated areas, where the Philippine weather bureau raised storm signals and warned that sea travel is risky along the eastern seaboard.
In Manila, officials have ordered big roadside advertising boards to be pulled down, fearing that strong winds could injure people.
The typhoon strength is equivalent to a Category Two hurricane in the Atlantic.
On Sunday morning, the typhoon was less than 200km east of Cataduanes. It's expected to slam ashore around 7pm local time (2200 AEST) on Sunday.
About 20 typhoons and storms each year lash the Philippines from the Pacific Ocean. In November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan struck the central Philippines with ferocious power, leaving more than 7,300 people dead and displacing more than five million others after leveling entire villages.
