Typhoon Usagi struck the northern Philippines on Thursday afternoon, the fifth powerful storm to impact the country in three weeks, with the system set to swing north and move toward Taiwan.

The storm made landfall on the island of Luzon. Forecasters warned of torrential rain and landslides in the north of the country.

Typhoon Usagi slammed into the Philippines' already disaster-ravaged north on Thursday, as authorities rushed to evacuate thousands of people from flood-prone areas.- 'Forced evacuations' - Elsewhere in Cagayan,