Typhoon Mangkhut: Millions at risk as cyclone hurtles towards Philippines

Floods, landslides and huge waves could put millions at risk as Typhoon Mangkhut hurtles towards the Philippines and Hong Kong.

The tropical cyclone is expected to smash into the northern Philippines this weekend and bring with it a trail of devastation to the disaster-prone country, rescue workers have said.

Emergency workers have been deployed to the north of the nation's main island of Luzon, where Mangkhut is expected to hit on Saturday.

The cyclone is currently working its way through the Pacific with winds of up to 160mph. The Philippines' state weather service says it will be the country's strongest typhoon this year, with winds peaking at 168mph on Thursday before easing slightly as it hits land.

Philippine Red Cross chairman Richard Gordon said: "We're worried for the 10 million people in the Philippines living in the path of this destructive storm."

The charity estimates three million people in the country live in the direct path of Mangkhut.

The typhoon is expected to make seasonal monsoon rains in the Philippines even more intense and put a further seven million people at risk.

Philippines' Office of Civil Defence chief Ricardo Jalad said low-lying areas in northern regions would be evacuated on Thursday.

An average of 20 typhoons and storms batter the country each year, leading to hundreds of deaths.

Last month, Tropical Storm Yagi and monsoon rains brought heavy floods across central Luzon and parts of Manila, causing widespread destruction.

Super Typhoon Haiyan remains the Philippines' deadliest cyclone, leaving 7,350 people dead or missing in 2013.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is predicting Mangkhut will leave "substantial damage" in its path.

It said there could be storm surges of up to seven metres (23ft) in coastal areas and that heavy rains could spark landslides and flash floods.

The Hong Kong Observatory said Mangkhut is expected to reach China's southeastern coast on Sunday.

The typhoon comes as the US east coast also prepares for extreme weather, with Hurricane Florence expected to batter the region from Thursday.