MANILA: Typhoon Usagi swamped rural villages in floods, knocked down power and displaced thousands more people before blowing away on Friday (Nov 15) from the northern Philippines, which has now been pounded by five major storms in less than a month.

Typhoon Usagi weakened sharply on Friday after bearing down on the Philippines' northern towns, blowing away houses in its path as authorities brace for another storm that could hit the capital Manila over the weekend.

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