By Karen Lema MANILA, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Typhoon Durian slammed into northern Philippines on Thursday shutting schools, halting sea travel and forcing hundreds of coastal residents to flee to higher ground as it barrelled towards Manila. The eastern island of Catanduanes and a nearby province were plunged into darkness after power companies halted operations. Disaster officials raised the top alert level, warning of flash floods, landslides and storm surges of up to 20 feet (6 metres).Durian, a category 4 typhoon -- which is a notch below a super typhoon -- brought winds of up to 190 kph (120 mph) and gusts of up to 225 kph (140mph) on a northward path that could sweep close to Manila on Friday morning. The weather bureau said the Durian was a category 4 typhoon, one notch below a super typhoon. "Evacuation is ongoing in the eastern seaboard of the Philippines," Nathaniel Cruz, weather services chief, told local radio. Durian, named after a pungent fruit, is the fourth typhoon to hit the Southeast Asian archipelago in three months and was following a similar path to Typhoon Xangsane, which battered Manila in late September, killing over 100 people in the north and centre of the country. Morning traffic in the sprawling capital of 12 million people was light as pupils were given the day off. "We suspended classes so the children can help their parents prepare for the typhoon. The schools can also be used as evacuation centres for flood prone areas," said Cruz. Luzon, where Manila is based, is the country's business hub and the main growing area for rice and coconuts. A run of typhoons has already damaged crops and transport and power links, dragging down third quarter economic growth. Storms regularly hit the Philippines. In the worst disaster in recent years, more than 5,000 people died on the central island of Leyte in 1991 in floods triggered by a typhoon. In 2004, a series of storms left about 1,800 people dead or missing, including 480 who were killed when mudslides buried three towns in Quezon, an eastern province.
