(Reuters) — Super Typhoon Haima, the strongest cyclone to hit the Philippines in three years, toppled power and communication lines, damaged houses and displaced thousands as it barrelled through the northern Ilocos region early Thursday (October 20) morning.
Haima, a category 5 typhoon, made landfall in the northern province of Cagayan Wednesday (October 19) night.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Some villagers took shelter inside the public market as vendors sold their produce in the dark.
Haima weakened over land on Thursday, prompting the weather bureau to lift storm warning signals in some areas. It was expected to exit the landmass via Ilocos Norte province between 0000-0200 GMT and move out of the country by Thursday evening.
There were no confirmed typhoon-related casualties yet other than the death of a 70-year-old man who reportedly succumbed to a heart attack while in an evacuation centre in Isabela.
Haima is the 12th typhoon to hit the Philippines this year. An average of 20 typhoons hit the Southeast Asian nation every year.
Super Typhoon Haiyan struck the central Philippines in 2013, killing at least 6,000 people.