Typhoon Opong (Bualoi): Signal No. 3 up in eastern Philippine provinces

Manila (as of 4.42am, September 26, 2025): As the 15th tropical cyclone of 2025 and the fifth in September, Severe Tropical Storm Opong—internationally known as Bualoi — has rapidly intensified hitting the Eastern Visayas and Bicol regions, in a pre-dawn assault.

This marks a swift succession following Super Typhoon Nando's exit just hours earlier.

Entering the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on September 23 as a tropical depression, Opong escalated into a tropical storm by early September 24, with maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h.

By September 25, it had strengthened to severe tropical storm status, with winds reaching 95 km/h and gusts up to 115 km/h, hurtling west-northwest at 20-28 km/h.

Positioned approximately 500 km east-southeast of Manila on September 25, Opong's path spells imminent danger for some of the most populated areas of the Asian nation, including Mania.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported that the storm hit land in San Policarpo, Eastern Samar, around 11:30 pm on September 25, with potential escalation to typhoon strength — winds of 118-184 km/h — before it struck Sorsogon province early on Friday, September 26.

Weather forecasters predict the eye of the storm to plough through the southern part of the Bicol in the morning of September 26, before heading north-west over Mindoro island, affecting parts of the Calabarzon.

After crossing Southern Luzon, it is expected to weaken temporarily over land but re-intensify as a severe tropical storm over the West Philippine Sea, possibly making a second landfall north of Vinh, Vietnam, within days.

The storm's approach has prompted evacuations and hourly alerts from emergency services. Wind Signal No. 3 (gale-force winds) blankets parts of Samar and Bicol, while Signal No. 1 affects northern areas.

Enhanced by the southwest monsoon, Opong threatens heavy rainfall exceeding 200 mm in provinces like Albay, Sorsogon, and Samar, risking floods and landslides.

Shelters in Polangui and Libon, Albay, are filling with evacuees, underscoring the archipelago's vulnerability in this hyperactive typhoon season.

PAGASA urged coastal residents to brace for storm surges up to 3 meters and secure properties amid gusts potentially surpassing 130 km/h. As Opong barrels forward, its legacy may echo the relentless fury of Pacific cyclones, testing resilience in one of the world's most storm-prone nations.