Typhoon Usagi had sustained winds of up to 175 kilometers (109 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 240 kph (149 mph) when it slammed into the coastal town of Baggao in Cagayan province at the northern tip of Luzon,

The fifth major storm in three weeks approached the Philippines on Thursday, prompting more largescale evacuations and a United Nations request for emergency funds to help the government ease the plight of hard-hit villagers.

The Philippines is bracing for its fifth powerful storm in three weeks, with Super Typhoon Usagi set to strike the country’s north on Thursday afternoon before tracking toward Taiwan.