Philippine authorities ordered all vessels back to shore and people in coastal communities to leave their homes Saturday as Typhoon Man-yi neared the storm-weary archipelago nation, with forecasters expecting it to intensify before making landfall.

Man-yi will be the sixth major storm to pound the Philippines in the past month, killing at least 163 people, leaving thousands homeless and wiping out crops and livestock. With wind gusts of up to 215km/h, Man-yi was on track to slam into the sparsely populated island province of Catanduanes later SAT or early Sunday.

About 255,000 people have already been evacuated from their homes in regions that are vulnerable to landslides, flooding and storm surges.

Agencies.