The Philippines is bracing for a powerful hit as Fung-wong intensified into a Super Typhoon on Sunday, prompting the evacuation of over 100,000 residents across the country’s eastern and northern regions. The storm is expected to unleash torrential rains, destructive winds, and dangerous storm surges upon its arrival later in the day.
Super Typhoon Fung-wong, known locally as Uwan, is currently packing sustained winds of $185 \text{ kph}$ ($115 \text{ mph}$) and powerful gusts reaching up to $230 \text{ kph}$. It is forecast to make landfall in Aurora province in central Luzon at the earliest on Sunday night.
Highest Alert Signals Hoisted
Storm alert signals have been raised across large sections of the Philippines. Signal No. 5, the highest warning level, has been hoisted over southeastern Luzon, including Catanduanes and coastal areas of Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur. Metro Manila and surrounding areas are currently under Signal No. 3.
As the nation prepares for the impact:
- Mass Evacuations: Over 100,000 residents have been moved out of high-risk areas. Images shared by the Philippine Coast Guard in Camarines Sur showed scenes of preemptive evacuation operations, with residents transferring from passenger boats to waiting trucks, carrying their essential belongings.
- Travel Chaos: The civil aviation regulator confirmed that more than 300 domestic and international flights have been cancelled due to the severe weather threat.
- Early Impact: Parts of the Eastern Visayas region are already experiencing power outages.
- Conditions Worsen: A video shared by ABS-CBN News on X (formerly Twitter) illustrated stormy conditions in Catanduanes province, showing an overcast sky, tree branches swaying violently, and heavy rain audibly pounding the area.
Second Major Storm in Days
Fung-wong’s imminent arrival comes just days after the Philippines and neighboring Vietnam were battered by Typhoon Kalmaegi. Kalmaegi proved deadly, killing 204 people in the Philippines and leaving a wide trail of destruction before slamming into Vietnam, where it claimed five more lives and devastated coastal communities.
In central Vietnam, evidence of Kalmaegi’s destruction was still visible on Saturday, with fishing vessels piled up as wrecks along the main road in the fishing village of Vung Cheo. Hundreds of lobster farms in the area were also reported washed away or severely damaged.