DHAKA: The Philippines evacuated eastern coastal areas, suspended ferry services and closed schools in parts of the main Luzon island on Tuesday, as the strongest storm to hit the country since Typhoon Haiyan last year charted a direct course for the capital Manila.

Typhoon Rammasun, with gusts of up to 150 kph and maximum winds of 120 kph near the centre, was expected to make landfall over the eastern province of Albay and Sorsogon within hours.

Tropical Storm Risk described Rammasun, expected to bring moderate to intense rainfall of up to 25 mm per hour within its 500-km radius, as a category-one typhoon in a scale of one to five.

It is the strongest storm to threaten the country since Haiyan, a category-five ‘super typhoon’, wiped out nearly everything in its path when it crossed the central Philippines in November, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1305 HRS, JUL 15, 2014