Super Typhoon Fung-wong, known in the Philippines as Uwan, slammed into the country's northeastern coast on Sunday night, killing at least two people and forcing more than a million residents from flood- and landslide-prone areas, officials said.

The typhoon came ashore at Dinalungan town in Aurora province after lashing the eastern seaboard all day with sustained winds of up to 185 kilometres per hour and gusts reaching 230 kilometres per hour, according to the Associated Press.

A villager drowned in flash floods in the eastern island province of Catanduanes, while a woman in Catbalogan city in Eastern Samar province died after being struck by debris, officials said.

Forecasters described Fung-wong as the biggest typhoon to threaten the Philippines in years. Its rain and wind band stretches about 1,800 kilometres across, wide enough to cover two-thirds of the archipelago, and the Office of Civil Defense said more than 30 million people could be exposed to its hazards.

The highest storm warning, Signal No. 5, was raised over southeastern Luzon, including Catanduanes and coastal areas of Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur, while metropolitan Manila and surrounding areas were placed under Signal No. 3. Authorities warned of a storm surge of more than three metres along the coasts of more than 20 provinces and regions, including the capital.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared a state of emergency as the country reels from back-to-back storms. Fung-wong arrived only days after Typhoon Kalmaegi tore through the central Philippines on Tuesday, killing at least 224 people there before moving on to Vietnam, where at least five more people died.

Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. warned in televised remarks on Saturday that Fung-wong could have a potentially catastrophic impact, affecting a vast expanse of the country including Cebu, the central province hit hardest by Kalmaegi, and metropolitan Manila. He urged residents to follow evacuation orders, saying rescue becomes far harder once rain and flooding have set in.

More than a million people were moved from high-risk villages in northeastern provinces, including Bicol, a coastal region exposed to Pacific cyclones and mudflows from Mayon, one of the country's most active volcanoes. In Catanduanes, disaster-mitigation officer Roberto Monterola told the Associated Press that the rain and wind were so strong there was nearly zero visibility, and that his teams had rescued 14 people trapped on the roof of a house engulfed by floodwater.

The storm has already disrupted travel and power across the east. At least 325 domestic and 61 international flights were cancelled over the weekend and into Monday, more than 6,600 commuters and cargo workers were stranded in seaports after the coast guard barred ships from rough seas, and several eastern towns and cities lost power. Authorities in northern provinces preemptively shut schools and most government offices for Monday and Tuesday.

The Philippines has not called for international help following the devastation caused by Kalmaegi, but Teodoro said the United States, the country's longtime treaty ally, and Japan were ready to provide assistance. The Philippines is battered by about 20 typhoons and storms each year, making it one of the world's most disaster-prone countries.