The Philippines evacuated tens of thousands of people from their homes and cancelled dozens of flights on Saturday, as a super typhoon threatened to unleash heavy rains and powerful winds that could trigger floods and storm surges.

A quarter of a million people have fled their homes as Super Typhoon Man-yi bears down on the Philippines. It will be the sixth major storm to hit the country in the past month, with lethal storm surges predicted.

The fifth major storm in three weeks is approaching the Philippines, prompting more largescale evacuations and a United Nations request for emergency funds to help the government ease the plight of hard-hit villagers.