ILOILO, Philippines -- Two people were washed away by floodwaters and thousands are still in evacuation centers in the central Philippines after days of heavy rains pounded the area, officials said Friday.

A new tropical storm was also forming off the northern Philippines, the government weather station said Friday.

The storm was not expected to hit the country until Sunday according to weather officials.

Two women were washed away as they tried to cross a flooded bridge in the central island of Negros earlier in the week, disaster control officials said Friday.

One body had been recovered while the other woman was still missing.

More than 1,130 families were still housed in evacuation centers in Iloilo City, near Negros where they fled to avoid rising waters earlier this week, city hall officials said.

Although flood waters, which had reached waist-level earlier this week, had receded by Friday, residents were still afraid to return home due to fears that the approaching storm would bring new rain.

The storm was 400 kilometers (250 miles) northwest of the island of Mindoro at 10:00 a.m. (0200 GMT) Friday, moving northeast towards the main island of Luzon, the weather station said.

Packing winds of up to 65 kilometers per hour, the storm was expected to hit the northern Philippines Sunday, crossing the island as it moves northeast.

The government weather station said the storm would bring heavy rains to Luzon and some of the central islands in the coming days.