ILOILO, Philippines: Two people were swept away by floodwaters and thousands are still in evacuation centres in the central Philippines after heavy rains pounded the area for days, officials said on Friday.

The government weather station said on Friday the rains were a sign that the wet season had started early this year with 20 typhoons expected to hit the country in 2008.

One such tropical storm, designated by its temporary code 05W, was expected to hit the northwest coast of the main island of Luzon with 65-kilometres per hour winds early on Sunday, it added.

Meanwhile, tropical storm Matmo was accelerating north-eastwards and away from the country after forming off Luzon’s northeast coast, it said. This second storm was not a significant factor in the bad weather that hit much of the country this week, they added.

Two women were washed away as they tried to cross a flooded bridge in the central island of Negros earlier in the week, disaster control officials said on Friday.

One body had been recovered while the other woman was still missing.

More than 1,130 families were still housed in evacuation centres in Iloilo City, near Negros where they fled to avoid rising waters earlier this week, city hall officials said.

Although waist-level flood waters had receded by Friday, residents were still afraid to return home due to fears that the approaching storm would bring new rain.

The government weather station chief Prisco Nilo told reporters in Manila that based on the level of rainfall associated with the southwest monsoon, the wet season had begun this week instead of early June, as usually happens.

“The rainy season is expected to peak during the months of July and August, accompanied by an increase in occurrences of tropical cyclones which are associated with heavy rainfall and strong winds,” he said.

Nilo said he expects about 20 typhoons to hit the Philippines this year, which is the annual average. Four such weather disturbances have already been recorded this year.