Authorities in the Philippines grounded air and sea transport on Thursday and urged fishing boats to return to port, as an approaching super typhoon, the most powerful storm on earth this year, gathered speed.
Typhoon Haiyan is expected to make landfall early on Friday between the central islands of Samar and Leyte.
With centre winds of 215km/h and gusts of up to 250km/h, the storm, rated as category five, the most severe, was moving west-northwest at 33km/h in the Pacific Ocean.
President Benigno Aquino appealed to citizens to evacuate danger zones. “I am calling for community teamwork and co-operation,” he said on national television and radio.
Aquino said 100 coastal areas face the threat of storm surges, bringing waves higher than five metres to six metres, and ordered action by local officials to limit damage and loss of lives.