The fifth major storm in three weeks is approaching the Philippines, 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.

The Philippines raised its highest storm alert and evacuated thousands of people today, as Super Typhoon Usagi barrelled towards its already

Typhoon Toraji has unleashed floods, knocked down trees and caused power outages in the northern Philippines before weakening into a tropical storm and blowing out to the South China Sea.

Thousands of people sought shelter, ports were shut down and landslides blocked mountain roads in the Philippines on Monday, as the disaster-weary nation was struck by a fourth cyclone in less than a month.