Yahoo TV

Typhoon Rai is expected to make landfall on Thursday (December 16) afternoon. It has been upgraded to a category 4 storm, the second-highest classification, and has wind speeds of 165 km (102.5 miles) per hour, with gusts of up to 205 kph, the Philippines' weather bureau said.

Residents from Cagayan De Oro City in the southern Philippines were evacuated by the Philippine Coast Guard after incessant rains brought by Rai flooded the communities.

On Mocaboc island in Bohol province, residents were evacuated early in preparation of the typhoon's possible landfall later in the day.

The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, sees around 20 tropical storms annually which can cause floods and landslides.