The Philippines raised its highest typhoon alert for Lawin, internationally named Haima, as it is forecast to make landfall in Cagayan province late Wednesday or early Thursday, state weather forecasters said.

Lawin became a super typhoon at 2 pm Wednesday with winds of up to 225 kph and gists of up to 315 kph, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who is in an official visit to China, told the Filpino community "everything has been deployed. All that is needed is to wait it out and wait for the proper advice from government." .

If everyone would follow the authorities' advice, "we'll expect a lower damage and loss of lives," he said.

“PAGASA projects that we are even dealing with a typhoon that is even stronger than Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. We must therefore brace ourselves for the possible effects of a typhoon of this magnitude,” said Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea in a publc advisory.

Lawin will hit some of the areas where a strong, fast moving typhoon struck last weekend. Some 35,643 people are still in evacuation centers and damage to crops and agriculture reached P3.25 billion, the disaster risk reduction agency said

Officials in Cagayan, Isabela, Ilocos Norte and other provinces in northern Luzon have began evacuating residents. Signal number 5, the highest typhoon alert, has been raised over Cagayan, Isabela, Kalinga, Apayao, northern Abra and Ilocos Norte, PAGASA said.

"I have imposed a forced evacuation of residnts in low-lying areas near the Cagayan River," Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba said in an interview over dzMM radio.

Isabela Governor Faustino Dy III said they have prepared days before the typhoon's projected impact sometime Wednesday evening.

"We have already have prepositioned relief goods in the province," Dy said in another interview over dzMM radio.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno directed local chief executives in northern Luzon to take the necessary precautions to avoid casualties.

“Mayors are the frontliners and first responders in the event of forthcoming disaster, so there must be concrete planning,” he said. Ella Dionisio, Emmanuel Tupas, Celerina Monte