The death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi in the Philippines has risen to 40, officials say, as the powerful storm unleashed heavy rains and floods across the central region, submerging homes and forcing thousands to relocate.

Although Kalmaegi, locally named Tino, has weakened since making landfall early on Tuesday, it continued to lash the country with winds of 130km/h and gusts of 180km/h as it swept across the Visayas islands headed for northern Palawan and towards the South China Sea.

The number of people killed climbed to 40 late on Tuesday, all but one of those in the central province of Cebu, provincial information officer Ainjeliz Orong said.

One person was reported dead on the nearby island of Bohol, according to the disaster agency.

Asked why the sudden jump in casualties, Orong

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