Hagupit, which is building strength over the Pacific, is slowly bearing down on the region devastated by Typhoon Haiyan a year ago.
The typhoon has gusts of up to 105mph and is expected to be a category 4 storm by December 6.
Thousands of people, many still living in temporary shelters, have been told to go to evacuation centers.
Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Yolanda, was the most powerful typhoon ever recorded over land.
It tore though the central Philippines in November 2013, leaving more than 7,000 dead or missing.
Typhoon Hagupit is not expected to be a powerful as Haiyan, but could bring storm surges up to one storey high.
The vice-mayor of Tacloban, the city which was worst hit by Haiyan, said the authorities were enforcing evacuation orders.
“We have no more excuse, we have gone through Yolanda, and to lose that many lives, it’s beyond our conscience already,” Jerry Yaokasin told reporters on December 3.
He told AFP news agency: “Our problem is: we don’t have enough evacuation centers.”
Meteorologists say there is a chance Hagupit could veer north towards Japan and miss the Philippines altogether, but officials said they were preparing for a worst case scenario.
-WZYrVnnxP8Image source: Wikimedia Commons President-elect Donald Trump celebrated his election victory at the Ultimate Fighting…
Millions of voters across the US chose to return Donald Trump to the White House…
Donald Trump declares victory in the US election as he addresses jubilant supporters in Florida.…
Stocks around the world are rising as Donald Trump appears to be on the cusp…
Donald Trump has won Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia and taken a lead over Kamala…
Quincy Jones, the celebrated musician and producer who worked with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Ray…