Usagi was a typhoon in the South China Sea Friday morning Philippine Time, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center said in its latest advisory. The typhoon had sustained wind speeds of 81 miles per hour, which would make it a Category 1 hurricane if it were in the Atlantic Ocean.

Typhoon Usagi weakened sharply on Friday after bearing down on the Philippines' northern towns, blowing away houses in its path as authorities brace for another storm that could hit the capital Manila over the weekend.

Typhoon Usagi struck the northern Philippines on Thursday afternoon, the fifth powerful storm to impact the country in three weeks, with the system set to swing north and move toward Taiwan.