The typhoon hit eastern Samar on Thursday around noon local time. It is the first named storm of the 2020 season in the western Pacific.
Vongfong blows winds of at least 115 mph, an intensity that makes it the equivalent of a category 3 hurricane.
The violent winds of the storm resulted in the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, according to the Reuters news agency.
At least 200,000 people live in the coastal areas near the affected Samar area.
To counter its spread, evacuation centers in central Philippines will only be filled to half the capacity, according to Reuters. The evacuated will have to wear face masks.
Vongfong is expected to gradually rotate northwest and is likely to weaken on earth.
Significant rainfall is expected to continue over parts of the Philippines, including the vast regions of Visayas and Bicol and northern Luzon.
The Western Pacific typhoon season does not have a beginning and end defined as the hurricane season in the Atlantic, as storms form in the area during the year.
Due to the position of the Philippines in the tropical Pacific, the country is affected by around eight to nine storms in an average year. The typhoon is also called Ambo locally in the Philippines.
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