A super typhoon slammed into the Philippines on Sunday and was on course to slam into the densely populated main island of Luzon, forcing the evacuation of coastal towns, authorities said.

Super Typhoon Noru had maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers (121 miles) per hour after an unprecedented “explosive intensification,” the state weather forecaster said.

The storm, which was the strongest in the Philippines this year, is expected to strengthen further as it makes landfall around 80 kilometers northeast of the sprawling capital Manila in the afternoon or evening local time.

“We ask residents living in danger zones to heed evacuation calls whenever necessary,” said Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin.

Storms regularly batter the Philippines, with scientists warning they will intensify as the world warms due to climate change.

Weather forecaster Robb Gile said Noru’s rapid intensification as it neared land was “unprecedented”. The agency said it rose 90 kilometers per hour in 24 hours.

“Typhoons are like engines – you need fuel and an exhaust to run,” Gile said.

“In Karding’s case, it has good fuel because it has a lot of warm water along its route and then there’s good exhaust in the upper layer of the atmosphere — so it’s a good recipe for explosive intensification,” he said, whereby the local name for the storm is used.

Noru comes nine months after another super typhoon devastated parts of the country, killing more than 400 people and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.

Residents in several communities in the province of Quezon who could be directly hit by this latest storm are being evacuated from their homes, said Mel Avenilla of the province’s disaster management agency.

In neighboring Aurora province, residents of Dingalan Township have been forced to seek shelter.

“People living near the coast have been told to evacuate. We live away from the coast so we stay that far away. We’re more worried about the water from the mountains,” said Rhea Tan, 54, a restaurant manager in Dingalan.

Tan said residents were securing the roofs of their homes and boats were being taken to higher ground while the weather was still calm.

“We are even more concerned when the weather is very calm, which is the usual indicator of a strong typhoon before it makes landfall,” Tan added.

Noru could experience winds of up to 205 kilometers per hour if it hits land, the weather bureau said.

It is expected to weaken into a typhoon as it sweeps over central Luzon before entering the South China Sea and heading towards Vietnam on Monday.

The Weather Bureau warned of dangerous storm surges, widespread flooding and landslides as the storm dumps heavy rain.

It could damage farmland in the heavily agricultural region and flood villages.

Classes in some areas have been canceled for Monday.

The Philippines — which is among the countries most affected by the effects of climate change — is hit by an average of 20 storms each year.