AROUND 100,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in the Philippines as a category 3 typhoon struck the island nation early today, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and flooding.

Seven people, including two children, have died in the storm and at least four people are missing. Fifty fishermen were rescued after their boat overturned along the eastern shore.

Authorities are warning against all non-essential travel and have temporarily shut down rail transport and cancelled flights. The country’s stock exchange is also closed and parts of the main island Luzon are experiencing power cuts after winds brought down electricity lines.

Heavy flooding has struck the capital Manila, where the water has reached waist-height, and forecasters are warning of 4-metre-high waves as gusts of wind reach speeds of up to 170 km an hour. The country’s disaster management agency says that Typhoon Nesat has weakened somewhat since striking land this morning, but is warning of sustained winds of up to 120km in parts of the country.

Five years ago, a typhoon caused major mudslides in the Philippines which left around 1,600 people dead or missing.

- Additional reporting by the AP