Typhoon rains, winds batter northern Philippines

MANILA (AFP) - Heavy rains spawned by typhoon 'Egay' (international codename: Sepat) battered the northern Philippines on Friday, flooding 20 towns and forcing authorities to cancel school classes and close government offices in the capital.

Although 'Egay' did not directly hit the main Philippine island of Luzon, it strengthened the monsoon rains in that area, causing three days of downpours and leaving many areas flooded.

The typhoon was Friday located some 200 kilometres (125 miles) east of the northernmost Philippine islands of Batanes, heading northwest, the government weather station said.

The storm has continued to strengthen with maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometres per hour and gusts of 250 kilometres per hour.

Civil defence officials said parts of 20 towns in Pampanga province, north of Manila, were reported still under water with over 370,000 people affected, while more than 1,000 people had been evacuated.

Schools in Manila and nearby areas have been shut since Wednesday, and work in government offices was stopped Friday except for emergency services.

Heavy rains are expected to continue falling on the northern Philippines on Saturday, the weather station said.

Despite the bad weather, no one has been reported hurt or killed from the effects of the rain or the flooding.