The cyclone, bringing winds of 75 kilometres (47 miles) an hour, is expected to strengthen into a severe tropical storm hours before it reaches the main island of Luzon on Friday morning.

"There is a moderate to high risk of life-threatening storm surge with peak heights reaching 1.0 to 3.0 metres (3-10 feet) within 36 hours over the low-lying or exposed coastal localities" of northern and eastern Luzon, the national weather service said.

Storm surges occur when strong winds push large volumes of seawater towards the coast, and have the potential to cause flooding, property damage and death.

There were no immediate government orders of evacuations, but the weather service said heavy rains are forecast and the seas will be rough and "risky for all types or tonnage of vessels".

Matmo is set to hit land just three days after a powerful magnitude-6.9 quake killed 72 people and destroyed nearly 600 homes in the central Philippines, leaving thousands sleeping out in the streets in fear of aftershocks.

The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year, routinely striking disaster-prone areas where millions of people live in poverty.

Scientists warn that storms are becoming more powerful as the planet warms due to human-driven climate change.

Typhoon Bualoi killed 37 people and forced 400,000 people to flee their homes in the northern Philippines last week.

And Typhoon Ragasa killed 14 people in the country in late September.