BBCNews: by Jon Donnison –

In the typhoon’s path were areas already struggling to recover from a deadly 7.3-magnitude earthquake last month, including the worst-hit island of Bohol where about 5,000 people are still living in tents.

The UK’s ambassador to the Philippines, Asif Ahmad, announced on Saturday that a team of humanitarian experts would be sent by the UK “to assess needs and then mobilise resources”.

More than 120 people have been reported killed by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, after the massive storm passed through the country on Friday.

Aviation officials said 100 bodies were lying in the streets of the city of Tacloban. Local journalists reported 20 bodies in a church in a nearby town.

The storm destroyed buildings and triggered landslides. The military has begun relief efforts.

Video from the city showed it engulfed by water when the typhoon struck.

It was one of the most powerful storms on record to make landfall.

Aid agencies are struggling to reach Tacloban, as its airport has been badly damaged but military flights are able to operate, the BBC’s Jon Donnison reports from Manila.

Communications to some of the worst-hit areas were cut off when the storm hit and it may be days before the final death toll is known.