The strongest typhoon to strike the Philippines in five years toppled power pylons and uprooted trees as it reached land on the northern town of Palanan in mid-morning, blacking out a wide area of the north, television reports said.

The typhoon toppled a tree and crushed five people underneath in San Agustin town on the central island of Romblon, DZBB radio reported here.

The civil defense office here said it had no immediate reports of casualties.

The government declared a holiday for some schools in Manila, where high winds and strong rain disrupted power supply.

Nearly 2,000 people were stranded at sea ports in southeastern Luzon and nearby central islands after their ships were barred from sailing.

At least two domestic flights have been cancelled.

Imbudo struck Palanan in the north of the main Philippine island of Luzon at 10:00 am (0200 GMT) and was moving inland, the weather bureau said.

It is forecast to rake across four Luzon provinces later Tuesday before exiting into the sea off the northern city of Laoag early Wednesday.

The typhoon, the strongest to hit the country since 1998, had peak sustained winds of 190 kilometers (118 miles) an hour and with gusts of 230 kilometers (142.6 miles) an hour, the weather bureau said.

It warned residents of low-lying areas and near mountain slopes to be on alert for floods and landslides, as well as coastal flooding on Luzon's east coast.

TERRA.WIRE