Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated as Typhoon Melor (known locally as Nona) made landfall around 11 a.m. over Batag, Northern Samar.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Typhoon Melor is expected to cause flooding, landslides and storm surges of up to four metres.
Typhoon Melor is expected to make a second landfall by Monday night in Sorsogon province.Melor has maximum sustained winds of 150 kph and gusts of up to 185 kph moving west at 17 kph.
According to The Weather Channel, the cyclone should start to weaken later Monday into Tuesday, with the rate of weakening depending on how much time the eye spends over land.
The national disaster agency has ordered a pre-emptive evacuation in
coastal, low-lying and mountainous areas in the central Philippines as
Melor is approaching areas hit by the strongest typhoon Haiyan two years ago.
Public storm warnings issued
Public storm warning signal number 3: Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar and Biliran.
Public storm warning signal number 2: Camarines Norte, Marinduque, Romblon Or., Mindoro Occ., Mindoro, Batangas, Laguna, Southern Quezon, and Leyte.
Public storm warning signal number 1: Metro Manila, Bataan, Bulacan, Lubang Island, Coron, Cavite, Rizal, rest of Quezon including Polillo Island, Southern Leyte, Northern Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands, Aklan, Capiz, Northern Negros Occidental, northern Iloilo, Dinagat province and Siargao Island.
Lahar warnings issued
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) issued lahar warnings for Albay and Sorsogon provinces in Bicol on Monday.
Rains brought by storm Melor may also trigger landslides and erosion of pyroclastic deposits in the upper and middle slopes of Mayon Volcano in Albay.