Manila, Safar 13, 1436, Dec 5, 2014, SPA -- Tens of thousands of people fled their homes in the Philippines Friday and thousands more were stranded after flights and sea travel were cancelled ahead of a powerful typhoon's expected landfall. According to dpa, school classes were also suspended in central, eastern and southern provinces being threatened by typhoon Hagupit, which weakened slightly as it moved closer to the Philippines. The 18th cyclone to hit the country this year was packing maximum winds of 195 kilometres per hour (kph) from 215 kph earlier, and gusts of up to 230 kph from 250 kph, the weather bureau said. Its diameter also has shrunk to 600 kilometres from 700 kilometres. The typhoon slowed down and was moving west-northwest at 13 kph, it added. --SPA 14:34 LOCAL TIME 11:34 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w