As Typhoon Mawar approaches the country’s northern provinces, officials in the Philippines are evacuating thousands of people, closing schools and offices, and implementing a no-sail ban.

The typhoon has maximum sustained winds of around 150 kilometres per hour, but is forecast to spare the mountainous region a direct hit.

According to current forecasts, the storm will track northeast toward Taiwan or southern Japan.

As the typhoon passes through the northernmost province of Batanes, authorities in the Philippines warned of catastrophic tidal surges, flash floods, and landslides.

Mawar ripped through Guam last week as the strongest typhoon to hit the U.S. Pacific territory in over twenty years, flipping cars, tearing off roofs and knocking out power.