Typhoon Koppu: Death toll rises to 54 after tropical storm batters northern Philippines

Towns and villages in the northern Philippines have been devastated by Typhoon Koppu AFP/Getty Images

The death toll from a fierce tropical storm which hit the Philippines at the weekend has risen to 54.

Ten of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes after Typhoon Koppu devastated the main island.

The storm hit the shore in the northeastern province of Aurora bringing fierce winds and heavy rain on Sunday.

Filipino villagers wade at the flood-hit town of Calumpit, Bulacan province, northern Manila, in the Philippines

Torrential rain dumped by Koppu in the mountainous north has flowed down rivers and flooded fishing and farming villages in downstream provinces.

Villagers from now submerged communities are being sheltered in emergency centres and rice fields ready for harvest lay destroyed.

Deaths have been caused by drowning, landslides, fallen trees and collapsed walls, according to civilian defence officials.

A Filipino boy wades next to a church at the flood-hit town of Calumpit, Bulacan province, northern Manila, in the Philippines

Koppu is the 12th storm to have hit the Philippines this year.  In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan destroyed entire towns, leaving more than 7,300 people dead or missing.

An average of 20 storms and typhoons batter the archipelago each year, making it one of the most disaster-prone countries.