The government weather bureau says Typhoon Nesat made landfall before dawn Tuesday over eastern mountainous Isabela and Aurora provinces facing the Pacific Ocean.
It is packing maximum winds of 87 mph (140 kph) and with the immense 400-mile (650-kilometer) cloud band threatens to foul weather across the entire main Luzon Island as it moves toward the South China Sea.
Heavy downpours and wind prompted the closure of schools and universities in the capital Manila while domestic flights are canceled and inter-island ferries grounded, stranding thousands.
