Local tourists with their belongings arrive to take shelter at a sports complex turned into an evacuation center in Dapa town, Siargao island in the Philippines on December 16, 2021, as Typhoon Rai hits the island. Photo: VCG

 Thousands of people in the Philippines had fled their homes and beachfront resorts as super typhoon Rai lashed the country Thursday, with authorities warning of "very destructive" winds and torrential rain.

The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers an hour as it barreled toward central and southern regions of the vast archipelago, the state weather agency said. But it warned wind speeds could intensify to 195 kilometers an hour before it makes landfall near the popular tourist destination of Siargao island in the afternoon.

It would be the strongest typhoon to hit the country in 2021, the agency said. "Very destructive typhoon-force winds... may cause generally heavy to very heavy damage to structures and vegetation," it added, flagging possible "widespread flooding" and rain-induced landslides.  

More than 45,000 people sought emergency shelter as the storm charged across the Pacific Ocean, the national disaster agency said.

They included domestic tourists visiting the country's famed beaches and dive spots ahead of Christmas. Foreign travelers are still banned from entering the Philippines under COVID-19 restrictions. 

Verified video shot by tourists in Siargao showed trees swaying violently with the force of the wind as people waited for the full impact of the typhoon to hit. In the town of Dapa, families slept on the floor of a sports complex turned into a temporary evacuation center.

Rai, locally named "Odette," is hitting the country late in the typhoon season, with most storms developing between July and October.