Thousands have been evacuated in the Philippines as the nation braces for a super typhoon that has been described by regional authorities as potentially "catastrophic", BBC reported.

Super typhoon Ragasa, packing 230km/h (143mph) wind gusts, is forecast to make landfall over sparsely populated northern islands on Monday, before barrelling west towards southern China.

Ragasa brings a "high risk of life-threatening storm surge" with peak heights exceeding 3m (10ft), the Philippine weather bureau said.

Schools and government offices in large parts of the country, including the capital Manila, have been shut and authorities have warned of widespread flooding and landslides and damage to homes and infrastructure, according to BBC.