Haiyan: Tropical Storm Slams Into The Philippines

Three people are reported to have been killed after the strongest tropical storm of the year, known as Typhoon Haiyan, barrelled into the Philippines.

Among those reported dead are a mother and child who drowned in South Cotabato and a boy who was struck by lightning in Zamboanga City.

Thousands of residents have been evacuated from villages in Haiyan's path amid fears the storm damage could be the worst in Philippines' history.

Residents of Legazpi city in Albay province, south of Manila, are evacuated

President Benigno Aquino III assured residents in high-risk areas, including 100 coastal communities, of war-like preparations with three C-130 air force cargo planes and 32 military helicopters and planes on standby, along with 20 navy ships.

Residents were warned they would be forcibly evacuated at gunpoint if necessary.

"No typhoon can bring Filipinos to their knees if we'll be united," the President Aquino said in a televised address.

Nearly 200 flights have been suspended at Ninoy Aquino airport

The US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Centre in Hawaii said Haiyan's maximum sustained winds were 314km per hour (195mph), with gusts up to 379km per hour (235mph).

Local journalist Mike Cohen told Sky News: "We're seeing a lot of strong winds but not a lot of rain. The eye of the storm has not yet made landfall, this is just the outer wall of the storm and it's 600km across.

"There are already reports of some landslides and very strong storm surge entering towns and villages in the path of the storm.

Philippine Coast Guards beside newly-acquired rubber boats in Manila

"Trees are falling and there is lots of damage reported across the region."

According to Mr Cohen, power has been cut to the worst affected areas, mainly as a preventative measure to avoid electrocution, but this was making communications difficult.

Jeff Masters, a former hurricane meteorologist who is a director at the private firm Weather Underground, warned residents to prepare for "catastrophic damage".

The calm before the storm: Fisherman's outrigger anchored off Manila bay

He said: "195-mile-per-hour winds; there aren't too many buildings constructed that can withstand that kind of wind. The wind damage should be the most extreme in Philippines history."

But other meteorologists forecast lower readings, saying the storm's speed at landfall had sustained winds at 234km per hour (145mph) with gusts of 275km per hour (170.88mph).

Fishermen repair their outrigger at Manila bay ahead of Haiyan's arrival

Haiyan is expected to roar through the Philippines' central region before moving toward the South China Sea over the weekend, heading towards Vietnam.

The head of the government's main disaster response agency in the capital Manila said people are still being moved from communities prone to landslides and flooding.

A closer look reveals the eye of the storm as it approaches the Philippines

These include residents of Bohol, many of whom are still living in tents after being made homeless following an earthquake last month.

But there is hope that, as Haiyan is a fast-moving storm, flooding from heavy rain - which usually causes the most deaths from typhoons in the Philippines - may not be as bad.

Haiyan is the 24th tropical storm to hit the Philippines this year.

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