Super Typhoon Fung-wong, locally known as Typhoon Uwan, has begun battering the northeastern coast of the Philippines with winds reaching 185 km/h and gusts up to 230 km/h. The storm, described as the most powerful to hit the country this year, has forced the evacuation of more than a million people from high-risk coastal and low-lying areas. Heavy rainfall, widespread flooding, and near-zero visibility have been reported in provinces like Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, and Aurora. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared a state of emergency, warning of a potential humanitarian disaster as the nation is still reeling from the aftermath of Typhoon Kalmaegi, which claimed over 224 lives just days earlier.
Officials have raised Signal No. 5—the highest storm alert level—across multiple regions, with defence authorities urging residents to evacuate immediately from landslide-prone and coastal areas before conditions worsen. Disaster officers reported rescuing several people trapped in flooded homes as strong winds ripped roofs apart and toppled power lines. Over 325 domestic and 61 international flights have been cancelled, while more than 6,600 commuters and cargo workers remain stranded at ports after the coast guard suspended maritime operations. Authorities are warning of life-threatening storm surges exceeding three metres, with the potential to devastate coastal communities and submerge parts of metropolitan Manila.
Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has cautioned that the storm’s massive 1,600-kilometre rain and wind band could impact more than 30 million people across the country, from Bicol to Central Luzon and even the capital region. While no casualties have been confirmed so far, officials fear a rise in deaths as communication lines remain cut in several eastern towns. The U.S. and Japan have reportedly offered assistance, but the Philippine government has not yet requested international aid. With schools and offices closed and the nation bracing for widespread destruction, Fung-wong is being described as a defining test of the Philippines’ disaster preparedness and response capabilities.
