MANILA, June 21 (Reuters) - Typhoon Fengshen churned through the central Philippines on Saturday triggering flashfloods, power outages and confusion after it changed direction and headed towards southern China.

Fengshen, with gusts of up to 170 kph (106 mph), was originally forecast to sweep eastwards back into the Pacific Ocean but instead gained strength and moved westward, allowing thousands of residents forcibly evacuated from landslide-prone areas to return home.

The typhoon's speeding winds uprooted trees, felled power lines and kept ships in harbour. More than a dozen domestic flights were cancelled. Flash flooding forced some residents to wade through knee-high waters.

Local radio reported two people drowned when their house was swept away but officials were not able to confirm the deaths.

Weather forecasters warned of other hazards.

"You may get struck by lightning if you stay outside. There is also the possibility of a tornado," weather chief Nathaniel Cruz told local radio.

Fengshen is currently over the centre of the archipelago and will pass north of the holiday island of Boracay before moving out into the South China Sea.

The centre of the storm is forecast to make landfall north of Hong Kong in the early hours of Wednesday, according to storm tracker website www.stormrisk.com.

Around 20 typhoons hit the Philippines every year, triggering flooding and mass evacuations.

Environmental groups blame illegal logging for making flooding worse, particularly in the central Philippines, where more than 5,000 people were killed in 1991 by floodwaters triggered by a typhoon.

In February 2006, around 1,000 people were buried alive when a mudslide from a barren mountain submerged a farming village on a central island. (Reporting by Carmel Crimmins; Editing by Valerie Lee)

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