The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan said typhoon Melor uprooted trees and caused blackouts in at least 7 provinces. Melor whipped the vast Bicol peninsula, with a population of 5.4 million people, overnight before slamming into the Romblon islands on Tuesday morning.

Gusts had weakened somewhat by Tuesday morning but wind speeds were still recorded at 170km per hour. The storm was expected to weaken further as it heads to Mindoro island and out into the East Sea later Tuesday.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in the typhoon-prone Bicol region, where 720,000 people were evacuated as early Saturday.