Tropical storm Wukong has left at least four people dead in the Philippines, which is still recovering from a typhoon earlier this month that killed over a thousand people.

Officials say three people were also missing as the storm cut through the central Philippines on Thursday, overflowing rivers, flooding towns, and making many roads impassable.

The national disaster agency said three people died when a tree fell on their house in Eastern Samar province. Another was killed in a landslide in Iloilo province.

More than 6,000 people fled to evacuation centers to escape the storm, which is expected to weaken as it moves over the western resort island of Palawan on Thursday.

Wukong was not as powerful as Typhoon Bopha, which hit the southern Philippines on December 4, killing more than 1,000 people and leaving hundreds more missing.

The country is vulnerable to severe flooding caused by heavy rains and tsunamis. It is hit by about 20 major storms or typhoons each year.