Philippines damaged by typhoon

The Philippines is recovering from the effects of Typhoon Xangsane after the storm lashed the northern island of Cuzon and the capital, Manila.

Winds of up to 80 mph have been reported and government offices and schools in Manila have had to close due to falling debris and power cuts, according to the BBC.

The island of Cuzon was without power for large chunks of Thursday (September 28th), but electricity has been partially restored.

Defence secretary Avelino Cruz told AFP: "We have a lot of debris on the streets. We are also having difficulty in restoring power."

Local weather sources have claimed that the typhoon is the strongest storm to have hit the Philippines in 11 years.

Over 60,000 people are believed to have been affected by the storm, with instances of falling trees and damaged transport routes.

The storm is now expected to head for the Vietnamese region of Danang at the beginning of the weekend.