Tropical Storm Wukong threatens Philippines

MANILA (AFP) - Flood and landslide warnings were issued across the central and southern Philippines on Christmas Day as Tropical Storm Wukong threatened the disaster-prone Asian nation, officials said on Tuesday.

The eye of the storm is expected to hit land on Samar island before dawn on Wednesday, bringing "heavy to intense" rain over a 350-km-wide front, the state weather service said.

These areas should expect potential landslides and floods, and local officials may have to order evacuations, said civil defence chief Benito Ramos.

He said the outer bands of the storm, which has gusts of up to 80km an hour, would affect areas of the south devastated by Typhoon Bopha earlier this month.