THE strongest typhoon in the world this year - and possibly the most powerful ever to hit land - has smashed into the ­Philippines, forcing more than a million people to flee; flooding villages; and raising fears of widespread casualties.

Haiyan, a category-5 super typhoon, scoured the northern tip of Cebu province and headed north-west towards Boracay island, both tourist destinations, after lashing the central islands of Leyte and Samar with 170mph wind gusts and 15-19 ft waves.

At least three people were killed and seven injured, national disaster agency spokesman Rey Balido said. The death toll could rise as more reports arrive.

Patrick Fuller, of the Red Cross, said: "The humanitarian impact of Haiyan threatens to be colossal."

Power and communications in the three large islands of Samar, Leyte and Bohol were almost completely down but authorities promised to restore them within 24 hours.

Officials warned more than 12 million people were at risk, including residents of Cebu City, which has a population of about 2.5 million, and areas still reeling from a deadly 2011 storm and a 7.2-magnitude quake last month.

Jeff Masters, director of meteorology at US-based Weather Underground, said: "The super typhoon is likely made landfall with winds near 195mph. This makes Haiyan the strongest tropical cyclone on record to make landfall."

About a million people took shelter in 29 provinces, after President Benigno Aquino appealed to people in Haiyan's path to leave vulnerable areas, such as river banks, coastal villages and mountain slopes.