The death toll from tropical storm Washi that ravaged the southern Philippines surged to 440 today, the Red Cross said.

Some of the worst affected areas included Cagayan de Oro city, which reported 215 dead, and nearby Iligan city which lost 144 residents, Philippine National Red Cross secretary-general Gwen Pang told AFP. 

Civil defence director Benito Ramos, the head of the disaster council, said  floodwaters rose with alarming speed late Friday as people slept.

Although residents had been warned of the approaching storm, some apparently dismissed the dangers of flash floods and landslides because -- unlike the rest of the archipelago -- most of Mindanao is rarely hit by storms.

"Complacency apparently set in," Ramos said. 

The Philippines is hit by about 20 storms and typhoons each year, most hitting the north of the country.