Thousands of residents fled to safer ground on Tuesday as typhoon Rosita pummeled Luzon with heavy rains and winds.

Rosita hit land in Isabela province before dawn, packing maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour and 210 kph gusts.

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In the neighboring province of Cagayan, nearly 2,960 individuals were in evacuation centers at 5 a.m., said Governor Manuel Mamba.

The local government has prepositioned 2,000 food packs across the province and suspended Tuesday's school classes for all levels, he told radio DZMM.

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The province is also implementing a liquor ban amid Rosita's onslaught, he said.

Some 500 families in Baler, Aurora meanwhile were moved to safer ground from coastal areas, said the local disaster office.

Rescue operations and the distribution of relief goods were ongoing at around 7 a.m.

Moderate to heavy rains may unleash floods and landslides in central and northern Luzon, state weather bureau PAGASA earlier warned.

Storms surges, it added, are possible in the coastal areas of Isabela, Cagayan, Aurora, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union, and Pangasinan.

Visit the ABS-CBN Weather Center for the latest weather updates.

DZMM, 30 October 2018