Typhoon Parma is lashing the northern Philippines with heavy rainfall and strong gusts of wind. At least three people are known to have died.

On the island of Luzon the typhoon has brought down trees and power lines, blocking many roads. The typhoon is pummeling the northern part of the archipelago, which is sparsely populated, though tens of thousands have been evacuated as a precaution. The typhoon was initially headed for the capital Manila but then veered to the north. The capital was hit by tropical storm Ketsana last week, leaving much of it flooded.

Photo: the island of Luzon (Wikipedia/Seav)