Typhoon Hagupit whips through central Philippines

Typhoon Hagupit makes landfall across central Philippines with heavy winds and rain causing damage to some areas which are still recovering from last year's massive typhoon.

Power and communications were cut across Tacloban City as well as most of Leyte province and the eastern island of Samar.

Here the remnants of a chapel that was washed away lay strewn on the ground.

Some of the residents in evacuation centers are contemplating what lies ahead.

(SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) RESIDENT THELMA ACUÑA SAYING:

"That is the problem, where can we stay after this? Right now we are staying at an evacuation site in Leyte High School. If we can't use this (tent), we have no place to stay."

More than 1.2 million people are crowding into some 1,500 evacuation centres across the region.

Weather officials say the storm is maintaining it's projected path through the archipelago's central belt, just north of areas ravaged by Haiyan last year.

Local media have r