Powerful Typhoon Cimaron lashed the northern Philippines early Monday, killing a mother and child and forcing thousands of other people to evacuate, disaster relief officials said.
The 28-year-old woman and her child, six, were killed in a coastal village in Aurora province, where police chief Teodoro Saklolo said strong winds blew away houses made of light material and wood.
Cimaron, packing winds of 195 kilometres (121 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 230 kilometres an hour, slammed into the northern part of Luzon island late Sunday.
Senior Superintendent Saklolo said some low-lying areas in Aurora were also flooded after heavy rains fell overnight.
Radio reports said the typhoon uprooted trees and toppled electrical posts, causing widespread blackouts in parts of northern Luzon. Manila airport authorities cancelled three domestic flights going to the north, while buses and private vehicles were also grounded.
President Gloria Arroyo called her cabinet officials after the typhoon made landfall on Sunday night and ordered school classes suspended in affected areas.
Some 15 provinces in the impoverished mountainous northern Luzon region were expected to be buffeted on Monday, the state weather bureau said. Isolated landslides in these areas have been reported, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.
Early Monday the typhoon, one of the strongest in recent years to hit the Philippines, was slowly crossing over the region and was due to blow toward the South China Sea later in the day.
Forecasters said the typhoon was weakening as it tracked westward, although it would continue to bring heavy rains until Tuesday.
Provincial disaster officials in Aurora province said they had conducted a "preventive evacuation" of families from low-lying areas in at least three towns.
Thousands of residents in four towns in Aurora were affected, as river systems overflowed their banks, disaster officials said.
In La Union province, some 300 people were also evacuated due to flooding, said Corazon de Leon, secretary general of the Philippine National Red Cross.
"We have told all our chapters to mobilise generators because of our problem with power outages," she said. "Our priority now are those in the evacuation centres who are most vulnerable."
He said Red Cross volunteers were working closely with local government officials and would be on standby.
The Office of Civil Defence in Manila said troops, the coast guard and the navy were also alerted to provide support, while state hospitals were preparing for possible victims.
Many parts of Luzon are still rebuilding after Typhoon Xangsane carved a trail of destruction earlier this month, killing more than 200 people and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.
Power was out for nearly three weeks in some affected areas, including suburbs near the capital Manila.