Typhoon Usagi swamped rural villages in floods, knocked down power and displaced thousands more people before blowing away on Friday from the northern Philippines, which has now been pounded by five major storms in less than a month.

Typhoon Usagi weakened sharply on Friday after bearing down on the Philippines' northern towns, blowing away houses in its path as authorities brace for another storm that could hit the capital Manila over the weekend.

The fifth major storm in three weeks is approaching the Philippines, prompting more largescale evacuations and a United Nations request for emergency funds to help the government ease the plight of hard-hit villagers.