Philippine capital braces for storm, as Hagupit leaves 27 dead

A girl scoops rice from a pot outside a house destroyed by Typhoon Hagupit in Can-avid, Samar, in central Philippines December 8, 2014. REUTERS/Erik De Castro

DOLORES, Philippines (Reuters) - Typhoon Hagupit weakened to a tropical storm as it churned close to the Philippine capital on Monday, after killing 27 people on the eastern island of Samar island where it flattened homes, toppled trees and cut power and communications.

Manila shut down as Hagupit, which means "lash" in Filipino, took aim at the tip of the main island Luzon, just south of the capital city of 12 million people.